First electric Jaguar sold in Hawke's Bay has owners humming

Rob Townshend, of Bayswater European, hands Marg and John Nicholls the keys of the first electric-powered Jaguar sold in the Bay.

Shortly before John and Marg Nicholls set off to drive home after an overnight stay at Craggy Range in Havelock North they checked their "fuel station" back at home in Taupō, where they shifted to from Central Hawke's Bay 15 months ago.

"Sun has been out, it's all ready to go," John said.

That means they can top up their remarkable new car, one of the first new Jaguar I-PACE models to arrive in the country, which uses electricity as its fuel.

Nicholls said he and his wife were converts to electricity for the creation of power and propulsion, and have solar panels on the roof of their home.

He checked his cellphone, which provides updates on the panels' power-making and yes, they were charging things nicely.

On Tuesday night, at a special handover gathering at the winery, the Nicholls were handed the keys to the unique and globally acclaimed new Jaguar, which they put a deposit down on with Bayswater European about a year ago.

It was the first all-electric powered Jaguar to be sold in Hawke's Bay.

John had taken a demonstration model for a run while in Auckland last year and that was that; he wanted one.

As well as embracing the pathway of propulsion which electricity was creating, he had a strong liking for the Jaguar marque.

"Yes, I've had a couple of Jaguars," he said, adding that the I-PACE would take the place of the diesel-driven XF he had.

"Electricity is the way of the future," he said, pointing out that high-profile manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and Volvo were steering firmly down that path as well.

While he said he did enjoy the sound of a V8, the relative silence of his new Jag' did not bother him, and if he desired a touch of sporting sound he could push the "dynamic" button on the dash and a slight rumbling hum would emerge.

He was surprised the New Zealand shipment of the cars had come through as worldwide demand had been huge, especially in Europe.

About 50 people across the country had paid a deposit on one - the full price is $144,995 - before they even arrived in the country.

"So it's great to see them arrive."

Bayswater European dealer principal Rob Townshend said it was exciting to see the arrival of the all-electric SUV, which added to Jaguar's SUV line-up. He said the marque was growing and sales had consistently increased in recent years.

"These models have found favour with our local market."

He was delighted to hand over the keys of the first of the latest models to roll off Jaguar's production lines.

Since its overseas release last year, the I-PACE has picked up a string of awards, including 2019 World Car of the Year.

Its performance is impressive: a claimed acceleration of 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds coupled with a 470km range.

Nicholls and his wife took their first drive when they drove into Havelock North after the handover and he said the car exceeded all expectations.

"So we're looking forward to the drive home."