Jaguar I-Pace Redefines What it Means to Be a ‘Car’ — Literally

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I-PACE

Jaguar is calling for the Oxford English Dictionary and Oxford Dictionaries to update their online definition of the word ‘car.’ 

The Jaguar brand is spearheading a campaign for the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and Oxford Dictionaries to change their official online definitions of the word “car.”

The Jaguar I-PACE, the brand’s first all-electric SUV, is the 2019 World Car of the Year and European Car of the Year. However, based on its current definition, the zero-emission vehicle isn’t defined as a “car.”

I-PACE

The OED, the principal historical dictionary of the English language, defines a “car” in its online dictionary as: “a road vehicle powered by a motor (usually an internal combustion engine) designed to carry a driver and a small number of passengers, and usually having two front and two rear wheels, esp. for private, commercial, or leisure use.”

Whereas the current definition of a ‘car’ on Oxford Dictionaries.com, a collection of dictionary websites produced by Oxford University Press (OUP), the publishing house of the University of Oxford, is: “A road vehicle, typically with four wheels, powered by an internal combustion engine and able to carry a small number of people.”

To remedy the situation, Jaguar has submitted a formal application to the OED an Oxford Dictionaries to have the definitions updated to include additional powertrains, including electric vehicles (EV).

 

Also See: Jaguar I-Pace Kicks Off National Tour

 

“A lot of time and thought is put into the name of any new vehicle or technology to ensure it is consumer friendly, so it’s surprising to see that the definition of the car is a little outdated,” said Jaguar Land Rover rep David Browne, who heads the brand’s naming committee. “We are therefore inviting the Oxford English Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionaries to update its online classification to reflect the shift from traditional internal combustion engines towards more sustainable powertrains.”

The Oxford English Dictionary is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language. It is an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words – past and present – from across the English-speaking world.

I-PACE

While both the Oxford English Dictionary and Oxford Dictionaries review the application, Jaguar is encouraging people to get behind the campaign by asking how the word “car” should be defined via Jaguar’s new campaign on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 

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