By Phil Royle – Aug. 25, 2026
Jaguar really needs the Type 01 to work. That’s the uncomfortable reality hanging over Jaguar’s new electric vehicle, and after Jaguar showcased the car and its presumably production-intent interior during Car Week in August, I’m not feeling particularly optimistic about the company’s future.
We’d previously seen the Type 01 in concept form and in pictures. Offering an in-person view in Pebble Beach was supposed to provide a better idea of what Jaguar is actually building. Instead, it mostly provided a better idea of how big of a hole Jaguar is in.
The exterior was still covered in camouflage, albeit camouflage that wasn’t particularly effective. There was also some questionable-looking bodywork, but that wasn’t necessarily the big problem. After all, Jag was covering the exterior parts, which shows that the company still sees that portion of the Type 01 as being in development. Exterior details can change.
The interior, however, was completely uncovered in a state that one can only assume Jaguar thinks is production ready.
The Type 01 is expected to be an expensive vehicle. While an official price has yet to be announced, the consensus is that it will exceed $100,000, perhaps coming to market in the $130,000 to $150,000 range, plus options. Whatever the eventual number is, that creates a high bar for the entire car, including the interior.
The interior showcased was not particularly luxurious, clad with screen adornments that were all but interchangeable with an Ioniq 5. That's a brutal comparison when you're talking about a supposedly premium Jaguar that could cost well into six figures.
Then there was the center console, which looked cheap, cobbled together, and ill fitting – far worse than the carefully curated media images Jaguar has placed on its website (and what is shown above).
Maybe the production car will be different. Maybe the materials will improve. Maybe Jaguar has some spectacular details waiting for the final version. But based on what Jaguar thought was acceptable to show uncovered during Car Week, the Type 01’s interior screamed anything but luxury.
Jaguar is in a precarious position. In fact, the company is in a make-or-break situation, with the Type 01 potentially being the company’s only savior. If the Type 01 fails, the Jaguar name might soon follow.
This is why the interior worries me.
Jaguar doesn’t merely need to build an electric car; it needs to build something that makes people look upon it in awe and clearly understand where their money is going. Right now, I'm not seeing that.
Perhaps the most poignant way of framing Jaguar's predicament is to contrast it with another luxury EV automaker. It’s not Jaguar versus the Germans for quality and precision, and it’s not Jaguar versus Tesla for EV dominance. No. It’s Jaguar versus Lucid in a battle to bankruptcy, and right now, it’s too soon to tell which of those two will take the big “b” first.
(Image courtesy Jaguar)
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