Havn, an all-electric private chauffeur service set up by Jaguar Land Rover’s InMotion investment arm, has sold a majority stake to international chauffeur firm Blacklane.
The deal was completed in November and adds London-based Havn’s Jaguar I-Pace taxis to Blacklane’s fleet of conventionally fuelled luxury and executive cars, which has operated in the capital since 2013.
Havn was launched by JLR’s venture capital and mobility services arm in March 2020, following an 18,000-mile trial phase.
As well as raising revenue, the venture was designed to help deliver the British company’s Destination Zero campaign to lower CO2 emissions and reduce congestion.
Customers are driven in Jaguar’s electric SUV, and each ride can be tailored in advance. For example, passengers can select music playlists, the temperature and their desired level of chauffeur interaction.
These features are selected when customers prebook a ride on the Havn app, which is available to download for free on the Apple App Store.
The I-Pace was launched in 2018 as Jaguar’s first EV. It’s powered by two electric motors that are together good for 395bhp, allowing it to sprint from 0-62mph in 4.5sec. More relevant for chauffeurs, it has an official range of 298 miles.
Havn isn’t the first electric mobility scheme in which the I-Pace has participated; last year, JLR announced plans to create a smart city hub in Shannon, Ireland.
Comprising an eight-mile private road testing facility, the hub – which will be completed in September this year – will use a fleet of self-driving I-Paces to test how autonomous cars can share streets with cars, pedestrians and cyclists.
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