Jaguar Land Rover has announced the launch of a new multi-partner project that will culminate in the production of an all-electric Range Rover Evoque_e. This massive £16.3m collaborative research project is being run with Zytek Automotive, GKN Driveline, Motor Design Limited, AVL, Drive System Design, Williams Advanced Engineering, Delta Motorsport, Tata Steel, Bristol University, Cranfield University and Newcastle University. The aim is to produce a mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV), a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and, most interestingly, a battery electric vehicle (BEV). It is impressive to see that JLR’s investment is not just financial, but also in the academic prowess of three British Universities. It is also important to note that this is more than just an research project. Peter Richings, Jaguar Land Rover Director Hybrid and Electrification has said: “The outcome of the Evoque_e project will be new technologies with the potential for high volume production that are capable of delivering benchmark performance in terms of cost, weight and sustainable use of materials.” It is indeed exciting to think of the potential of a fully electric four-wheel drive Evoque… provided it will travel more than a mile before it needs recharging!
