Panasonic Jaguar Racing made its UK debut at the Shelsley Walsh hill climb last weekend, producing a record-breaking performance on the 914-meter-long hillside ascent.
With Mitch Evans behind the wheel of the team's Season Four I-TYPE 2 Formula E car, which secured a podium finish at the Hong Kong E-Prix and also secured pole position in Zurich, the Kiwi successfully broke the hill climb's electric record, setting a time of 30.46s on his second run, beating the previous electric record by 6.84s.
"It was a great honour to drive the Jaguar I-TYPE 2 at such a historic venue, and the whole team was elated with the record time we managed to achieve," said Evans after his record-breaking run at the world's oldest hill climb.
"Formula E fans in the UK were incredibly welcoming, and it was great to see them so excited about the car's debut run here.
"I'm proud to have moved the class-best result a step further towards a potential pure electric record outright hill record in the future."
With the record attempt brought together by Jaguar Racing's partner GKN Drive, which provides design, manufacturing and consultancy services to the British marque, Gordon Day at GKN's Innovation Centre in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, highlighted the display as an opportunity to showcase EV technology:
"In breaking the electric car course record with the Jaguar I-TYPE 2, we've helped to show the incredible potential of pure electric drive to an ever-broader group of enthusiasts," he said.
"It was a privilege to partner with Panasonic Jaguar Racing on this endeavour, showcasing the I-TYPE 2 in its UK track debut with a suitably thrilling result."
"In 113 years of Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb history, we have never seen a more advanced electric vehicle take to the course, so it was a thrill to see the Jaguar I-TYPE 2 Formula E car charge up the hill and secure a new course record under electric power," added Antony Harper, Chairman of the Midland Automobile Club.
"We're proud to have hosted the car's UK debut, and we certainly welcome GKN Driveline and Panasonic Jaguar Racing back to the course in the years to come to see if they can beat the record again."
In the 2017/18 season, Jaguar enjoyed its most successful campaign to date as one of the most improved teams on the current grid, finishing in sixth place in the Teams' Championship with 119 points through the services of Evans and inaugural Formula E champion Nelson Piquet Jr.
Formula E's fifth season of competition will commence on December 15 with the inaugural Riyadh E-Prix in Saudi Arabia.
Discussion about this post