Armoured I-Pace First of Its Kind

UK - Fleet of 2023 I-Pace SUVs Engulfed in Flames

South African firm Armormax has unveiled its latest offering, a bulletproof Jaguar I-Pace. The mobile security specialists used high-grade ballistic glass and light armour to ensure performance would not be sacrificed for strength. In total, only 200 kilograms (440 lbs) of weight was added from the armour conversion. Armormax’s I-Pace has a B4 ballistic protection rating, which means it can withstand attacks from handguns and shotguns up to a .44 calibre. Armormax’s work does not void the I-Pace’s Jaguar warranty. Both companies worked together on the project, with Jaguar providing technical support. Armormax’s Managing Director, Grant Anderson, stated the following: “This project presented a great opportunity to challenge ourselves and expand our capabilities. We immediately involved the technical team at JLR South Africa to assist and they were fantastic in helping us understand the intricacies of this electric vehicle. We are proud to say we built this car to our high standard despite the challenges and left the base vehicle very much unchanged”. It’s currently not clear if the Armormax I-Pace will be available outside South Africa. Also, Armormax did not provide pricing for its I-Pace as it varies significantly depending on the amount of armour and gadgets you want. However, the company’s website suggests most builds cost in the region of A$50-100k + the donor car. .

Editor: Information for this story from Carmag South Africa.

Earlier this month (December), a fleet of new Jaguar SUVs erupted into flames on the side of the M1 (UK). At this stage it is unclear how the SUVs caught on fire. Large smoke plumed as traffic came to a standstill, with drivers reporting that it took several hours to reach their intended destinations. It took 6 hours for officials to put the fires out and recover all the vehicles and the transporter from the road. Fire crews reported there were at least seven Jaguars on the car transporter. It is unclear how many - if any - survived the blaze. No injuries were reported in the incident. Although EVs have an extremely low chance of catching fire, with hybrids much riskier, there have been a number of recorded cases of fully electric cars from the like of Tesla, Porsche, and Mitsubishi, having burnout incidents around the world. However, when fires do occur, electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries burn hotter, faster and require far more water to reach final extinguishment. Lithium-ion battery cells have electrodes placed close together, which increases the chances of a short, and they are filled with a flammable liquid electrolyte. Improvements to battery management systems, as well as the battery cells themselves, promise to make EVs safer in the future .

Editor: Information for this story from Daily mail Australia.