Jaguar's 'ambitious' Type 01 EV arrives after controversial rebrand — and in a challenging marketplace

Jaguar has a lot riding on its new vehicle, the Type 01.

Revealed last night in New York, the new EV sedan is the production version of the Type 00 concept. It retains the hard angles, dramatic long hood, and truncated rear end of the concept, but with slightly normalized proportions.

The conversion to a sedan also makes it more palatable to a broader subset of buyers compared to the concept's coupe design. Inside the cabin is another story, with a "brass floating spine" bisecting the interior and bucket-type seating in the back, creating a four-seat grand tourer.

The specs are impressive, and like most EVs, it boasts abundant power. Jaguar said the swooping sedan will pump out 1,016 hp, hit 0 to 62mph in 3.2 seconds, and have an estimated range of 450 miles.

Reviews of the design are mixed, but in the auto world, that's expected. It will likely appeal to a certain luxury buyer looking to stand out from the crowd, starting with its $130,000-and-up price tag. Jaguar said it will sell fewer cars and target more affluent customers when deliveries of the Type 01 begin next year.

"This is the toughest possible segment to stake your company's future on. The market for luxury EVs is soft," said Rory Caroll, editorial director of Alloy , a car culture publication. "But the Type 01 has real presence, it's ambitious, kind of a car for the future we wanted but didn't get. It's expensive, but less so than other hyperluxury EVs."

The big question: Will those buyers turn up for Jaguar? It was only two years ago that the controversial "Copy Nothing" marketing campaign was unleashed, with models strutting out in avant-garde outfits. It was pilloried by some on social media as out of touch, or even "woke." The ad didn't include a car in the video either.

Then a Barbie Pink version of the concept debuted shortly thereafter, and the criticism remained. Jaguar design boss Gerry McGovern departed the company a few weeks after the reveal, and CEO Adrian Mardell left a few months after that.

This comes after the company killed off its existing products — including well-received but long-in-the-tooth SUVs — to focus on its EV reboot. This only adds to the challenge facing Jaguar.

Then there's the fact that the company had to dig itself out of a PR hole just to get to where it is today.

"Jaguar has had a remarkable half-year for a brand with nothing on sale," said Royan Boulter, mobility lead at PR measurement firm CARMA, noting there have been more than 400 articles about the car before it was even revealed.