A South African car modifier called Armormax built the world's first armored Jaguar I-Pace. It's South Africa's first armored EV, but it's not the first armored EV in the world. We did some digging, and the earliest mention we could find is a 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid, built by Armormax's US-based operations. BMW is currently developing an armored i7 you can buy straight from the factory, but at the time of publishing, it seems Armormax beat everyone to the punch.

The I-Pace B4 was developed in conjunction with Jaguar Land Rover South Africa. It's fully approved by the factory and does not affect the warranty.

Obviously, it's meant for the discerning customer who wants to reduce their carbon footprint, as there's no shortage of ICE armored vehicles in sunny South Africa.

The I-Pace has been given a B4 protection rating, which means it can withstand direct fire from handguns up to .44 caliber. Upgrades include the highest-grade ballistic glass available, run-flat tires, plus an intercom system to tell attackers to kindly *expletive deleted* off.

The armor is Armormax's own, which it claims is the lightest armor available globally. Even with a B4 rating, the overall weight added to the car is only 440 lbs. That's roughly two average adults, and as a result, the I-Pace's performance is practically unaffected.

Its 402 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque might not seem like much compared to more modern EVs, but we know for a fact that the I-Pace accelerates like a vegan running away from a Wendy's Bourbon Bacon Triple Cheeseburger.

South Africa is quickly becoming a hotspot for armored vehicles, with one of the world's leading experts in the field, SVI Engineering, designing and building cars in SA.

We recently spent some time with the folks at SVI, who showcased several of the company's product offerings, including the SVI Max 3, built on the Land Cruiser 79-Series platform. You can get something more sedate, like an all-new Land Cruiser that can withstand direct fire from an AK-47.

Why South Africa? It's a beautiful country with a massive crime problem. From January to March, more than 5,000 vehicles were carjacked at gunpoint, and South Africans are simply fighting back against this common crime.