I am part of the demographic that is screaming bloody murder right now.
I think the move is brilliant, for all the reasons you've described. The brand has been bleeding out for decades and sometimes you've got to push your remaining chips onto the table.
As a current I-Pace owner (brilliant car, btw - just wish for faster charging and a bit more range) I can say that their success will be on the shoulders of their dealer network. Our experiences have been inconsistent at best - with the price of the new cars, the remaining dealers will have to more Aston Martin and (much) less shady used-car lot. I wish them well