Well, as long as the tech isn't ready to sell to consumers, 'partnering' with Waymo doesn't have all that much upside for automakers. It's not like Waymo is handing over the secret sauce or promising them exclusivity. I also suspect over the past decade Waymo has found fewer and fewer automakers fighting to make a deal with them.

Jaguar doesn't have a high-profile competing autonomy effort of their own, that would create a conflict of interest and/or invite spying.

The i-pace is electric, which makes integration easier and won't hurt for PR purposes.

And it's luxurious enough that no matter who you're showing the tech off to, it won't be a big step down from their personal car.