Google deploys a Jaguar I-Pace as its first all-electric Street View car

By Trevor Mogg Published May 25, 2021

Google has captured well over 10 million miles of global Street View imagery since its camera-equipped cars first hit the streets 14 years ago.

But despite the emergence of greener vehicle technology, the company has only now gotten around to deploying its first all-electric Street View car.

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The vehicle, a Jaguar I-Pace, recently took to the streets of Dublin to take fresh imagery for Google Street View, a popular online service that offers panoramic views of a growing number of places around the world.

But that’s not all that the Jaguar I-Pace is doing, as Google’s first all-electric Street View car has been fitted with a mobile air-sensing platform for gathering data on the city’s air quality over the next 12 months.

Google Street View's first all-electric car, a Jaguar I-Pace. — Google’s first all-electric Street View car capturing imagery and measuring air quality on the streets of Dublin. Google

Created by environmental intelligence company Aclima, the technology’s sensors can measure and analyze pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, fine particulate matter, and ozone, which at high levels can harm not only the climate but also human health.

“Dublin City Council is dedicated to fulfilling its commitment to the U.N. BreatheLife campaign, and it is projects like this that leverage innovation and forward thinking to allow us to make informed decisions for the benefit of our city and citizens,” Hazel Chu, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, said in comments reported by the Irish Times. “Environmental air quality is an issue that affects everyone, especially people who live in cities, and I look forward to learning more about how our city lives and breathes.”

Google has actually been doing this kind of work in a number of cities since 2017, although considering the type of car it’s using in Dublin, there will be a little less pollution to detect this time around.

It’s not clear if Google is planning to use more all-electric vehicles in its ongoing Street View project. We’ve reached out to the company to find out and will update this article when we hear back.

In other Street View news, check out this remarkable story about how one man carried a camera for thousands of miles in a monumental effort to bring the southern African nation of Zimbabwe to Google’s mapping tool.

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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This week in EV tech: Audi exemplifies auto industry’s EV holding pattern

Close-up of 2025 Audi SQ5 grille, headlight, and badge.

The road to the future runs through the present, and it’s not a straight line. This week, we’re focusing on how Audi is negotiating the twists and turns on the way to an electrified future. EVs are here to stay at Audi, but a gasoline crossover SUV is still the automaker’s bestselling model, and it’s not ready to risk those sales just yet. That’s why the 2025 Audi Q5 received a top-to-bottom overhaul for this model year, bringing its tech features and styling up to date without altering the what has proven to be a very popular package. By maintaining parallel lineups of electric and internal-combustion cars, Audi hopes to give customers more choices. But that doesn’t completely level the playing field. The new Q5 may have yesterday’s powertrain, but Audi isn’t holding back on tech. It features the same electrical architecture, operating system, and three-screen dashboard display as the latest Audi EVs, like the Q6 e-tron. So aside from a little engine noise, there’s little difference in what you can see and interact with from the driver’s seat. It’s not just the infotainment systems. The Q5 and Q6 e-tron are close in size, with similar space for passengers across their two rows of seats. The Q6 e-tron has a bit more cargo space, but not as much as you’d think given the lack of a bulky engine, transmission, and driveshafts. The two SUVs also have similar styling but, having now driven both, we can say that the Q5 is the more pleasant of the two.

More than a difference of powertrain tech

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Take a peek inside the factory making tomorrow’s ride

A Zoox robotaxi.

Amazon-owned Zoox has opened its first facility producing fully autonomous robotaxis.

A video (above) released by the California-based company offers a peek inside the factory, which, when it reaches full capacity, could roll out as many as 10,000 autonomous vehicles per year.

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The week in EV tech: 900 miles, 12 minutes—EV charging just hit warp speed

byd 900 miles 12 minutes seal

Welcome to Digital Trends’ weekly recap of the revolutionary technology powering, connecting, and now driving next-gen electric vehicles.
If you’re hesitant about electric vehicles (EV), it’s likely that your top concerns include how far you can drive in a single charge, how long it takes to charge the battery, and how much this advanced tech will cost you. And you're not alone.
According to Deloitte’s 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study, nearly half of U.S. consumers (49%) still say that available battery driving range is their biggest worry about EVs. That’s followed closely by the time required to charge (46%) and the lingering cost premium (44%) associated with battery electric vehicles.
But that narrative may finally be flipping. Just this past week, two developments showcase how much EV technology has evolved over the past decade: China’s BYD is breaking new grounds on just how far you can drive an EV on a single 12-minute charge. Meanwhile, the Nissan Leaf, seen as the first mass-market EV in 2010, is getting an impressive upgrade even as it remains one of the most affordable options on the market.

BYD’s bold battery bet
Chinese auto giant BYD, already the world’s top-selling EV manufacturer, may have just redrawn the limits of battery performance. According to Chinese media, and other reports, the company is testing a new solid-state battery that can add 900 miles of range in just 12 minutes of charging.
Let that sink in. That’s nearly four times the range of many current EVs—enough to drive from New York to Chicago —and charging that’s as fast as a coffee stop.