Armored Jaguar I-Pace by Armormax revealed
Whenever we think of armored vehicles, we think of big SUVs and luxury sedans. Not only do they offer protection from ballistics and explosives, but these types of vehicles also come with powerful engines in order to offset the added weight of the armor plates and ballistic glass.
For one company in South Africa, they opted to use an all-electric car to prove that even EVs can come with ballistic and explosive protection. Say hello to the first armored Jaguar I-Pace, and it offers B4 levels of protection without affecting the EV's performance, or so they claim.
Outfitted by Armormax, the company actually requested technical support from Jaguar Land Rover in order to ensure the modifications will not affect both the I-Pace's performance and design. In fact, Armormax says the conversion is OEM-approved and retains the original warranty.
As for the level of protection it offers, the B4-rating means this I-Pace can withstand handgun shots (no spe, as well as shotguns. It also comes with ballistic glass that's 22mm (or 0.9 inches) thick and run-flat tires that ensure the vehicle can escape in case the tires are shot.
Armormax did not go into detail about just how heavier the armored I-Pace is. However, they did say that they were able to use the lightest armor available' which allowed them to say that the performance of the I-Pace is unaffected. On paper, a regular I-Pace already tips the scale of 2,208 kg.
With the Jaguar I-Pace now available with added protection, expect more EVs in the not-so-distant future to come with ballistic protection. And since electric cars deliver instantaneous torque, the added weight penalty due to armoring may be negligible on these types of vehicles.