Jaguar Unveils $130,000 Luxury EV as British Carmaker Launches Brand Reboot

Jaguar has unveiled its new all-electric vehicle, marking a major milestone for the luxury automaker two years after its high-profile rebrand triggered a wave of backlash on social media.

The British automaker, owned by India’s Tata Motors, introduced the Type 01 on Tuesday at an event in New York City. Jaguar called it the “most technically advanced” model in its history, as well as its “most powerful and aerodynamic” vehicle.

The launch signals a dramatic shift for Jaguar, which faced criticism in November 2024 after announcing a series of changes designed to prepare the brand for an all-electric future.

At the time, Jaguar shared a 30-second video on X featuring models in vivid clothing alongside slogans including “live vivid,” “delete ordinary” and “copy nothing.”

The campaign notably showed neither a car nor Jaguar’s familiar cat logo. Elon Musk, owner of the X platform, was among its critics, asking the company: “Do you sell cars?”

Jaguar defended the campaign, telling Sky News that it aimed to be “bold and disruptive.”

Ferrari of Italy and Bentley of Britain have also introduced their first electric vehicles this year. The launches come as luxury automakers gauge wealthy consumers’ willingness to switch to EVs while competing with lower-priced Chinese brands.

The Type 01 starts at £130,000, or approximately $172,000, in the U.K. and about $130,500 in the U.S., according to multiple media reports. That makes it considerably more expensive than comparable Jaguar models of the past.

Jaguar confirmed to CNBC on Wednesday morning that the Type 01 will have a minimum price of $130,000 in North America.

The four-door “Grand Tourer” features an exceptionally long hood, a low roofline, frameless doors and a camera in place of a conventional rear window. It can travel up to 450 miles on a charge and accelerate from zero to 62 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds.

The Type 01 arrives as Jaguar Land Rover continues recovering from a cyberattack that forced the company to suspend production last year. The launch also follows JLR’s announcement one month ago that it would eliminate 4,000 jobs as part of a sweeping cost-reduction plan.

JLR CEO PB Balaji described the Type 01 unveiling as the beginning of “an exciting new era” for Jaguar.

“Combining British heritage, bold creativity, advanced technology and groundbreaking engineering, it reflects our ambition to create objects of desire that will help us invite a new generation of clients into Jaguar’s loyal and passionate customer base,” Balaji said in a statement.