Jaguar unveils £130,000 Type 01 EV targeting wealthier technology buyers

Jaguar unveiled its Type 01 electric car in New York on October 6, targeting younger, wealthier technology-focused buyers with a reported £130,000 starting price. The four-door GT replaces its rear window with a camera, marking a change in both the brand’s technology and intended audience ahead of planned sales in 2027.

The Guardian reports that the entry price is approximately double the roughly £62,000 starting price of the preceding F-Type. Those figures compare the models’ reported starting prices, rather than equivalent specifications, but show the scale of Jaguar’s move upmarket.

How the Type 01 replaces its rear window

Rearward visibility comes from a rear-facing camera feeding an interior screen, according to the Guardian. With no rear window, the camera display takes the place of the conventional view through the back of the car.

Jaguar had already described its digital ClearSight Rear View Display in an August 12 interior announcement. The company places it centrally at the base of the windscreen, level with the door mirrors, saying that position is intended to help drivers focus. That benefit remains the manufacturer’s assessment.

Jaguar identifies the luxury four-door GT as its first production model planned for the dedicated Jaguar Electric Architecture, known as JEA. The company’s August statement also scheduled the October 6 New York reveal.

Why Jaguar is targeting wealthier American buyers

Managing director Rawdon Glover told the Guardian that Jaguar wants a younger, richer audience than its previous customer base, which he described as shrinking and ageing. He characterised likely buyers as urban, design-literate and technology-literate.

“The person making this purchase will be choosing the car because it’s a bold choice,” Glover said. The emphasis on affluent technology buyers is central to the positioning of the new model, rather than evidence of orders already secured.

Glover said putting Jaguar on a stronger financial footing was important. Asked about doubling prices, he defended moving upmarket over continuing what he described as two decades of operating in the volume premium segment.

The Guardian also reports that JLR chief executive PB Balaji has outlined a pivot towards North America, targeting more sales to millionaires and billionaires. That establishes the company’s intended direction; it does not demonstrate demand for the Type 01.

Type 01 size and range claims

At more than 5.2 metres long and 2 metres wide, the Type 01 presents practical questions for parking. The Guardian compares its length with a standard 4.8-metre UK parking space. That mismatch does not mean every parking space in Britain is unsuitable.

Responding to questions about size, Glover said all-wheel steering makes the car highly manoeuvrable and compared its turning circle with a Fiat 500’s. The report does not establish an independently measured turning-circle figure for the Jaguar.

The Guardian reports output above 1,000 horsepower and quotes Jaguar’s claim of up to 400 miles on a charge. Its account does not provide independent range testing or the conditions behind that figure, so the stated distance should be understood as a manufacturer claim.

The launch follows Jaguar’s rebrand and JLR job cuts

The unveiling follows Jaguar’s late-2024 advertising rebrand and subsequent Type 00 concept reveal. Type 00 was the earlier concept; Type 01 is the newly unveiled model intended for production.

The launch also comes as JLR pursues cost reductions. The Guardian reports that the group recently announced 4,000 job cuts in an effort to save £1.7 billion over two years, citing competition and geopolitical uncertainty. It does not establish how many Type 01 roles are affected.

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds welcomed the EV, the Guardian reports, linking it to JLR’s planned investment of more than £15 billion in the UK and expected support for thousands of jobs in the West Midlands and North West. Those employment benefits are expectations, not measured outcomes.

When the Jaguar Type 01 is expected to arrive

Sales are planned for early 2027, with first deliveries anticipated in the second half of that year, according to the Guardian. The October unveiling therefore precedes customer availability; neither milestone has yet been reached.

China will wait longer. Glover told the Guardian that the Type 01 would not launch there for “a couple of years”, while saying the market would eventually be important. He gave no firm Chinese launch date.