Jaguar Type 01: the British carmaker is attempting a comeback with an electric saloon – everything you need to know

The most divisive car of the last ten years has become a reality. We’re not talking about the Ferrari Luce but the Jaguar Type 01, a car mocked even by Elon Musk himself at the time of the concept car’s launch (Type 00) which took place in late 2024, alongside a much-criticised rebranding initiative, starting with the Jaguar logo lettering, which looks like a cross between Google’s and Dyson’s. Because with the Type 01, the British brand has decided to make a radical change, not only by adopting a fully electric powertrain but, above all, through its styling, market positioning and colour choices – which, on the one hand, have caused an outcry amongst fans (and owners) of the British brand and, on the other, have generated media attention worthy of the aforementioned Ferrari Luce. Before we find out what the Type 01 is like, it’s worth recalling what this car is all about. Because with this car, everything changes for the British manufacturer – a brand capable of creating legendary models such as the E-Type, yet at the same time producing cars that have failed to live up to its reputation, starting with the 2001 X-Type based on the Ford Mondeo. This model is intended, above all, to restore a new identity to the British manufacturer, following its decision to move away from high-volume production and focus exclusively on profit margins.

In Europe, Jaguar had reached its peak in 2018 with nearly 84,000 registrations, which fell to 76,826 in 2019 and then to 46,647 in 2020. Since then, the decline has continued almost uninterrupted, reaching 22,623 units in 2024 and just 2,846 in 2025 – a figure influenced, however, by the phasing out of the old model range. Globally, the trend is similar. In the 2018/19 financial year, Jaguar sold 180,198 cars, compared with 140,593 in 2019/20, 97,669 in 2020/21 and 62,521 in 2022/23. Following a temporary recovery to 66,866 units in 2023/24, sales fell to 48,445 in 2024/25 and to 21,597 in 2025/26. Compared with the peak at the end of the last decade, the brand has therefore lost almost 90 per cent of its global sales volume, although the most recent phase reflects a deliberate decision to phase out the previous range in anticipation of the new generation. This decline over the years has also been caused by models that failed to meet customer needs, such as the electric I-Pace, not only due to its specifications but also because of its unclear positioning, starting with its name.

There is also another factor that increases the risk associated with the Jaguar venture. The Type 01 was, in fact, the result of a strategy devised by a section of JLR’s senior management who have since left the group. The Type 00, a concept unveiled in December 2024 and a direct preview of the production car, was developed under the leadership of the then Chief Executive Adrian Mardell and, above all, Gerry McGovern, Chief Creative Officer and the driving force behind Jaguar’s new design direction. Mardell left JLR in 2025 after 35 years with the group and was replaced by P.B. Balaji, whilst McGovern subsequently left the company after having been the most visible figure in the brand’s controversial repositioning. It was the British designer himself who explained in numerous interviews that the aim was to take Jaguar beyond the confines of the traditional automotive industry, bringing it closer to the worlds of luxury, fashion, art and design. The decision to unveil the Type 00 at Miami Art Week was a step in precisely this direction, as was the idea of building a fully-fledged brand universe around the cars, from retail outlets to marketing communications. McGovern had repeatedly emphasised that luxury does not necessarily fulfil a need, but rather a desire, thereby shifting the focus from high volumes to exclusivity and perceived value. The Type 01 thus arrives on the market with the task of demonstrating the validity of a transformation conceived and largely implemented by managers and designers who no longer hold operational roles within the group.

The Type 01 is a four-door electric GT, 523.5 centimetres long and just 140.3 centimetres high, with a very long bonnet, a low roofline, pronounced overhangs and wheels up to 23 inches in diameter. The front end features a four-element lighting signature and slim LED headlights, whilst at the rear the traditional rear window has been replaced by the ClearSight camera. The stated drag coefficient is 0.23. Inside, the design is much more minimalist than in previous Jaguars, with a central console dividing the four seats, brass-effect anodised aluminium trim, a 24-inch OLED display and two additional 7-inch screens. The main drawback is the boot, which is decidedly small given the car’s size, with a capacity of just over 450 litres – increasing to 1,000 litres when the rear seats are folded down. The powertrain is based on the new JEA electric platform and comprises three motors: one 260 kW motor at the front and two 310 kW motors at the rear. Total power output reaches 1,030 cavalli and 1,365 Nm of torque, with all-wheel drive and torque vectoring. The 0–100 km/h sprint takes 3.2 seconds, whilst accelerating from 100 to 180 km/h takes just 4 seconds. The battery has a usable capacity of 118 kWh and operates on an 850-volt architecture, with a claimed range of up to 720 kilometres (WLTP) and up to 515 kilometres at a constant 120 km/h. DC charging reaches 350 kW and, according to Jaguar, allows the car to regain 321 kilometres of range in 13 minutes, whilst charging from 10 per cent to 80 per cent takes around 22 minutes.