A real Tesla challenger has arrived — Waymo’s Self Driving Jaguar I-Pace

Waymo cars are no more ugly with the introduction of the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace compact SUV as their premium self-driving vehicle. Waymo broke the news yesterday that should make electric vehicle enthusiasts very excited.

This is the best fusion of Form and Functionality — Jaguar makes beautiful cars and Waymo (previously Google Self-Driving Car Project) are pioneers of self-driving technology.

Waymo made their first self-driving car in 2009 and is continually working to improve the technology as their AI computers learn more with each mile traveled.

To challenge Tesla vehicles ‘self-driving technology’ is the biggest hurdle for any manufacture — & Jaguar Land Rover has made a good attempt in overcoming the obstacle.

Waymo released the following video (looks like a CG render) of the self-driving I-Pace yesterday in a tweet.

A recent data comparison, we did between Tesla Model X and I-Pace showed two major missing pieces from Jaguar’s electric-car puzzle — ‘self-driving tech’ & ‘high powered charging network’ — now the only missing piece is the charging network as the vehicle is capable of accepting up-to 100kW DC charge rate.

We’ve seen vaporware Tesla killers in recent history but the Jaguar I-Pace is real as it’s under production right now and Jaguar UK is taking orders from customers — also the compact all-electric SUV is coming to the New York International Auto Show starting in two days.

Waymo’s theory for the future of autonomous vehicles is ‘passenger centered design’ not ‘driver centered design’ — they stressed this in their press release article on Medium yesterday;

This is just the beginning. The self-driving products of the future will be designed around passengers, not drivers. That means riders will be able to choose from a broad array of options that will match their very specific needs: one for working remotely as you commute, one for dining with friends, even one designed for napping! The ultimate goal: with Waymo as the driver, products tailored for every purpose and every trip.

Waymo’s self-driving Jaguar I-Pace looks great as well if you can live with the Lidar bump over the roof and some other bulges on front-fenders and rear probably equipped with cameras, radars, and sensors (high-res pics below).

We shouldn’t be too concerned about these design modifications from Jaguar’s non-self-driving I-Pace as this is going to be Waymo’s property not our own, so why bother? — just enjoy a great ride, read the newspaper, undertake a business meeting — that’s the purpose of a fully autonomous vehicle and Waymo is surely aiming for Level 5 autonomy.

But Level 5* autonomy approval by state and federal regulations does not look a thing of near future, especially after the death of a woman by Uber’s self-driving car last week in Tempe, Arizona.

We hope there will be a lot of discussion taking in account the new Jaguar I-Pace that Waymo is taking to a whole new level with their technology infusion to a greatly designed electric vehicle.

Also, other self-driving firms like Uber might deviate from Volvo vehicles to more eco-friendly Jaguar I-Pace (just speculation, don’t take seriously). Let’s discuss this interesting topic in the comments section below.

Not to forget Tesla’s Master Plan includes a ride-sharing platform that hasn’t yet taken shape yet — this is where Waymo’s I-Pace will be most competitive to Tesla’s self-driving Model 3 or Y.