---
title: "Jaguar I-Pace Sets a Laguna Seca Electric Car Lap Record"
description: "The Jaguar I-Pace has set the best time around Laguna Seca for an unmodified electric car."
date: "2018-08-24"
modified: "2018-08-24"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy.md"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/23121/jaguar-i-pace-sets-a-laguna-seca-electric-car-lap-record"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "Jaguar News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Electric Motorsport"
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "I-Pace"
  - "Jaguar"
  - "Jaguar I-Pace"
  - "Laguna Seca"
  - "Lap Records"
  - "luxury"
  - "Luxury crossover"
  - "suv/crossover"
---

# Jaguar I-Pace Sets a Laguna Seca Electric Car Lap Record

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/08/2019ipacefirsteditionatwrlsimg1507-e1535131794550.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Jaguar announced Thursday that its [electric I-Pace crossover](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/21601/the-all-electric-2019-jaguar-i-pace-first-drive-review-so-good-itll-keep-you-up-at-night.md>) has set the lap record for unmodified electric vehicles at Laguna Seca.

A 2019 I-Pace HSE First Edition was piloted by professional racing driver Randy Pobst, who achieved a lap time of 1:48.18 in the I-Pace, the fastest known time for a stock four-door electric vehicle around the circuit. The best known time for a similar vehicle prior to this was [a 1:57.5 set by a Tesla Model 3](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/19099/watch-how-the-tesla-model-3-handles-hot-laps-around-laguna-seca.md>) in March. The base Model 3 was easy prey for the I-Pace, though, as its 400 horsepower, 512 pound-feet of torque, and all-wheel-drive give it a rapid zero-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds, and its near 50/50 weight distribution keeps it tidy in corners.

https://youtube.com/embed/jDFU3yyR3mU

Base Tesla Model 3s come with 50 kilowatt-hour batteries with 210 miles of range, which can be upgraded to 75 kilowatt-hours for 310 miles of range. The I-Pace, however, has 90 kilowatt-hour battery that offers just 240 miles per charge. It is unclear how quickly the [Tesla Model 3 Performance](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/20974/2018-tesla-model-3-performance-gunning-to-depose-the-deutsch.md>) can lap Laguna Seca, and though it'd have to slash more than ten seconds from its best known time to beat the I-Pace, that shouldn't be too hard with its added performance and the right driver.

Is it unfair to compare a compact performance sedan to a crossover? Perhaps not, but maybe so, since Jaguar touts the I-Pace as the vehicle of choice for an upcoming electric spec series starring the model.

The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace will be on sale later this year, starting at $69,500, and if you're willing to spend a lot more on an electric Jaguar, consider lining up for [an electric E-Type](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/23100/the-jaguar-e-type-is-coming-back-as-an-electric-vehicle.md>) instead.

## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)