Very few cars today generate pre-production enthusiasm with buyers placing deposits in advance. Tesla, history shows, has dominated this trend, but Jaguar's upcoming I-Pace all-electric SUV is apparently has the same early buzz. According to Automotive News Europe, the upcoming Tesla Model X fighter has so far taken in 25,000 confirmed orders. The biggest markets are Europe and the US with eager customers shelling out "four-figure" deposits, despite not even knowing what the final price will be.

What's also interesting is that the I-Pace Concept, unveiled last year at LA, won't be making an appearance this week at Frankfurt. Doesn't this seem like a missed opportunity to further publicize what could be Jaguar's most relevant new vehicle in years? BMW, Mercedes-Benz and the VW Group will be bringing EV concepts of their own to the show, so wouldn't it make sense for Jaguar to do the same again? Not really. Those confirmed orders are all Jaguar needs to know it has a hit on its hands. Another factor is that Jaguar doesn't want to get in over its head; it already has a nearly two years' worth of I-Pace crossovers to build in pre-orders alone. The production-spec I-Pace won't be revealed until early 2018, meaning either Detroit or, more than likely, Geneva.