Jaguar Land Rover to Demonstrate Advanced XJ_e Plug-in Hybrid Engineering Research Vehicle at CENEX 2012

LONDON, September 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Jaguar Land Rover will demonstrate the ultra-low carbon XJ_e plug-in hybrid engineering research vehicle at the 2012 CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle Event today.

The innovative XJ_e project forms part of JLR's strategy to develop best-in-class, low-carbon premium products, and follows other successful hybrid research demonstrators including the Range_e project.

Part funded by the UK Government's Technology Strategy Board through the REEVolution project, this advanced research vehicle has been engineered in partnership with leading UK technology companies to help develop expertise for ultra-low carbon vehicles within the supply chain.

Bob Joyce, Engineering Director, Jaguar Land Rover, commented: "Jaguar Land Rover is at the centre of the UK automotive industry's drive to deliver technical innovation in all areas of vehicle development.

"We are the UK's largest investor in automotive green technology and by working together with academia, suppliers and other automotive manufacturers through the Technology Strategy Board, we are helping to push the boundaries of research into the electrification of premium and luxury vehicles, with experimental vehicles like the XJ_e."

The XJ_e demonstrates how an advanced parallel plug-in hybrid design can deliver reductions in CO₂emissions of over 70 per cent, without compromising vehicle performance.

Capable of 0-100km/h (62mph) in under 6.5 seconds and with a limited top speed of 250km/h (150mph), the XJ_e achieves CO₂ emissions of less than 75g/km and a zero-emission range of 40km (25 miles) on electric power.

The XJ_e combines the class-leading lightweight aluminium vehicle structure from the Jaguar XJ with an advanced plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) system, featuring the efficient 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine which powers the Range Rover Evoque and a hybridised 8-speed automatic transmission.

The hybrid system uses a 69kW motor/generator and a 12.3kWh Lithium Ion battery pack, which can be fully charged by an external 240V domestic supply in around four hours.

The parallel hybrid design means that the XJ_e can run on petrol power, electric power, or a combination of the two, optimised by the car's intelligent energy management system which selects the most efficient mode.

With a maximum system output of 334PS, the XJ_e is still capable of exceptional performance, while the improved fuel economy of 3.2l/100km (87mpg) translates into a maximum range of 1092 km (679 miles) on a full tank of fuel.