Jaguar's controversial Type 01 EV looks like a '40s gangster car built for the modern electric era

It has arrived in production form with nearly the same zany design as the concept.

Jaguar

Jaguar shocked everyone in 2024 when it revamped its classic cat logo and introduced the polarizing Type 00 concept EV that was incredibly long and low. Now, that much-anticipated car has arrived in production form as the Type 01, with the same zany design that made the original concept so, er, interesting. The company said that controversy was a deliberate way to attract an affluent younger market more open to new things.

The Type 01 doesn't look quite as long as the concept, but it's still incredibly long at 17.1 feet, a bit less than the Rolls Royce Spectre. The low roofline and incredibly stretched-out hood, along with the curved fastback, give the same gangster vibes as a 1940s Mercury coupe. The front and back ends are also highly unusual, with slab-like profiles that house ultra-thin LED projector headlights up front and full-width taillights hidden in the rear grating. 

Jaguar

There's no rear window and it's too long for a UK parking space, as The Guardian notes. Instead, the Type 01 has cameras that feed to a screen at the base of the windshield. It's more maneuverable than you'd expect with a 37.7-foot turning circle, thanks to rear wheels that can turn up to six degrees. The aerodynamic drag is just 0.23 Cd with the optional 21-inch wheels. 

Jaguar's design angered some people, but the company wanted it to be radical. "The person making this purchase will be choosing the car because it's a bold choice," Jaguar's managing director Rawdon Glover said at the car's launch in New York, adding that it appeals to younger, richer buyers than the company's current "men in their '50s" market.

Jaguar

The powertrain would be grabbing more attention if everyone wasn't so focused on the design. With an 850-volt architecture and 118 kWh battery, the Type 01 delivers 450 miles of WLTP range (about 385 miles EPA), and Jaguar claims it'll travel up to 320 miles on a charge at sustained highway speeds. You can go a lot faster than "sustained," though, as the three electric motors (one at the front and two behind) deliver 1016 horsepower and 1,007 pound-feet of torque, enough to propel this EV from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. 

The Type 01 features a double-wishbone front and integral-link rear suspension system, with Dynamic Air Suspension. Five drive modes are available: Jaguar, Dynamic, Efficient, Ice & Snow, and Curated, with Dynamic being the sportiest. The vehicle also offers active aerodynamics, including active vanes at the front for cooling the powertrain and brakes, plus an active three-stage rear spoiler that can generate 165.3 pounds of downforce and lower the car 0.59 inches. 

Inside, the Type 01 is not very spacious despite its vast size. It retains the same minimalist design as the concept, with a big central compartment that divides the driver and passenger. You can forget physical controls (other than a few on the steering wheel), as everything is controlled through a seven-inch central console and a 24-inch touchscreen. 

The new Jaguar will likely run in the low- to mid-$100,000 range, but the company has yet to say when it will go on sale. Like Ferrari's first EV, the Luce, it's bound to attract and repel buyers in equal measure.