Jaguar Land Rover has expanded its electrified vehicle line-up with the introduction of its latest plug-in hybrid system, which debuts in the company’s two best-selling vehicles.
This is the next step in delivering Jaguar Land Rover’s Destination Zero mission to shape future mobility for zero accidents, zero emissions and zero congestion.
The 1.5-litre three-cylinder plug-in hybrid seamlessly combines a conventional petrol engine, the smallest in the Ingenium range, with an electric motor to provide sustainable, efficient all-electric performance for shorter trips plus traditional power or combined petrol and electric drive for optimum efficiency on longer journeys.
This new technology has been introduced in the latest generation Range Rover Evoque and comprehensively updated Land Rover Discovery Sport, making them among the most cost-efficient compact premium SUVs available.
Jaguar Land Rover’s latest plug-in hybrid system offers customers a cost-effective choice of modes to best suit their needs. Electric-only mode delivers quiet, zero-tailpipe emissions driving on shorter journeys, with a range of up to 66km, depending on the model.
The Hybrid mode automatically combines petrol and electric driving for optimum efficiency on longer journeys. In this mode the car adapts to the driving conditions and judges the remaining charge in the battery to maintain the charge or fuel economy.
As a third option for longer distances, the vehicle can be powered solely by the 1.5-litre Ingenium petrol engine, maintaining the battery charge.
Battery charging is made as easy as possible, whether the vehicle is on the move or plugged in. While being driven, energy generated by the engine during acceleration, or by braking in electric or hybrid mode, is harvested and used to charge the battery.
When plug-in charging is required, the 15kWh battery can be powered up from zero to 80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes using a public rapid charger. It takes between one hour and 24 minutes and six hours 42 minutes at home, depending on whether the car is plugged into a dedicated wall box or typical domestic electricity supply.
Jaguar Land Rover has filed over 40 patent applications for the latest class-leading technologies that debut in the three-cylinder plug-in hybrid system. A number of these relate to the high voltage belt-integrated starter generator (BiSG), for example, which is a key enabler for the hybrid system on this car.
The company’s new 147kW 1.5-litre three-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine is designed, engineered and manufactured in-house. This lightweight aluminium engine is 37kg lighter than even the four-cylinder version.
It a fuel economy as low as 1.4 litres per 100km, depending on the model, thanks to its hybrid electric technology. Both the Range Rover Evoque and the Land Rover Discovery Sport are built on Land Rover’s Premium Transverse Architecture, which was designed from the outset for both plug-in and mild-hybrid technologies.
The hardware has been packaged beneath the cabin floor without compromising cabin and luggage space, or all-terrain capabilities. The South African introductions of the plug-in hybrid Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport are unconfirmed. More information will follow in due course.
The introduction of this latest technology to the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport marks the second phase in the electrification of the company’s Halewood plant in the UK. More than 1 500 employees have been retrained to build the latest electrified variants of the ever-popular compact SUVs.
This follows the earlier enhancements at the plant for the launch of the new Evoque and significantly updated Discovery Sport, including mild hybrid-electric assembly facilities and a new stamping line. Both these vehicles are already available with a line-up of efficient four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines. Similarly, the recently revealed New Defender features mild hybrid from launch and plug-in hybrid will be introduced later this year.
Jaguar Land Rover was the first company to launch a premium all-electric performance SUV, the multiple award-winning Jaguar I-PACE, and has confirmed plans to transform its Castle Bromwich facility to manufacture a range of new electrified vehicles, starting with the new luxury Jaguar XJ.
In parallel, Jaguar Land Rover continues to refine and improve the latest diesel and petrol engines, which are an integral part of the journey to electrification and are required alongside electric technology, both for consumer choice and as part of hybrid systems. By growing its portfolio of electrified products, the company is driving towards Destination Zero, its ambition to make societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner. Through relentless innovation, Jaguar Land Rover is adapting product and services to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.
