Tuesday 15 November 2016 6:30 am

Jaguar Land Rover just wheeled out its first electric car: The I-PACE Concept

Here it is, in all its glory: Jaguar's closely guarded secret. A new electric vehicle.

The Jaguar I-PACE Concept car was previewed at the LA show, with the production version to be revealed in late 2017, ahead of it hitting the road in 2018.

It's an electric SUV which Jaguar says combines a "supercar silhouette" with "sports car performance" and "five-seater SUV versatility". Phew, you get all of that? And it'll accelerate to 60mph in four seconds with a range of more than 500km.

Jaguar's feeling confident in convincing those who are still hesitant to try out electric vehicles – drivers with an average daily commute will only need to recharge the car once a week.

Ian Callum, Jaguar's director of design, said: "The I-PACE Concept is a radical departure for electric vehicles. It represents the next generation of battery electric vehicle design.

This will be Jaguar's first-ever battery-powered electric vehicle and opens a new chapter in the history of our legendary brand."

And for those looking for an early Christmas present, Jaguar's wheeled out an "I want one" button on its website for prospective owners. There's no price guidance at this stage; a Jaguar spokesperson said it will be confirmed nearer to when the company releases the production model.

The electric motors and battery pack were designed in-house. A full charge will take just over two hours and deliver more than 220 miles range measured on the US EPA test cycle, or 500km measured on the European NEDC test cycle.

Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) vehicle line director Ian Hoban, said: "Electric motors provide immediate response with no lag, no gearshifts and no interruptions."

JLR is the biggest car manufacturer in Britain. It produces more than 500,000 cars in the UK each year and 80 per cent of those are exported.