Jaguar unveils new electric car after ‘woke’ ridicule

by | Oct 7, 2026 | Business

Jaguar unveils new electric car after 'woke' ridicule

Jaguar has introduced the Type 01, an all-electric four-door Grand Tourer designed to relaunch the storied British automotive brand as a luxury electric marque. The vehicle features styling that references the company’s iconic 1960s E-Type, with a long bonnet and imposing proportions. Equipped with approximately 1000 horsepower electric motors, the Type 01 accelerates from 0-62 mph in 3.2 seconds and offers up to 320 miles of range at sustained highway speeds. However, the car comes with a substantial price tag, starting at £130,000 in the UK and $130,500 in the US.

The unveiling generated sharply divided responses across social media and automotive circles. While some commentators, including journalist Steve Fowler, praised the design as “incredible” and expressed pride in the British engineering, others offered harsh criticism. A luxury car consultant described the design as an “unmitigated catastrophe” resembling a hearse, while one social media user compared it to a hybrid between a Cybertruck and Bentley Continental. Industry analyst Alistair Weaver acknowledged the design’s polarizing nature but suggested that any alternative aesthetic would have been less distinctive.

This launch represents the culmination of a reinvention strategy announced in early 2023, following years of declining sales for traditional Jaguar models. The company had pledged a £15 billion investment in new vehicles and technologies to transform Jaguar into an all-electric luxury brand. Production of previous Jaguar models concluded during 2024 and 2025 as the company prepared for this transition.

The Type 01 announcement follows the controversial 2024 rebranding campaign, which featured surreal imagery and unconventional marketing that triggered significant public backlash, with critics accusing the company of abandoning heritage for cultural trends. Despite initial surprise at the negative reception, company leadership has since restructured, parting with the original rebranding agency and installing new executive leadership. The Type 01 is expected to be the first of three planned electric designs in the revitalized Jaguar lineup.

Analysts suggest this launch represents a critical moment for the brand, which has struggled to generate profitability in recent years. The company faces particular headwinds in the US market, where electric vehicle adoption is declining. Industry observers view the initiative as a high-stakes attempt to revitalize a brand that once represented British automotive prestige but had lost appeal to its traditional customer base.

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