A Land Rover Defender sits on display screen on the opening working day of the IAA Frankfurt Motor Demonstrate in Frankfurt, Germany, on September 10, 2019.
Krisztian Bocsi | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Jaguar Land Rover said Tuesday it was doing work on the prototype of a hydrogen fuel cell electric powered motor vehicle, with tests of the idea slated to start off later this calendar year.
The motor vehicle will be centered on the new version of the firm’s Land Rover Defender, and is component of JLR’s broader try to meet up with a focus on of zero tailpipe emissions by the year 2036. Testing of the car or truck will focus on regions this sort of as fuel usage and off-street capabilities.
In an announcement, the business — which is owned by Tata Motors — described gas cell electrical vehicles as being “complimentary to battery electric powered vehicles … on the journey to web zero car or truck emissions.”
“Hydrogen-powered FCEVs deliver higher vitality density and quick refuelling, and small loss of variety in small temperatures, generating the technologies ideal for larger sized, for a longer period-range motor vehicles, or those people operated in sizzling or cold environments,” the business additional.
As governments try to cut down emissions and increase city air good quality, the motor vehicles people use do glance set to modify.
The U.K., for instance, options to halt the sale of new diesel and gasoline autos from 2030. From the yr 2035, all new vehicles and vans will need to have to have zero tailpipe emissions.
Firms this sort of as JLR are, slowly but certainly, making an attempt to adapt to this new reality. Previously this 12 months, the organization declared its Jaguar model would go all-electric from the 12 months 2025. The enterprise also mentioned its Land Rover phase would roll out 6 “pure electrical variants” around the up coming five yrs.
Hydrogen’s ‘role to play’
Described by the International Energy Company as a “adaptable strength carrier,” hydrogen has a various vary of applications and can be deployed in sectors such as market and transportation.
Illustrations of its use in the transportation sector include hydrogen buses in metropolitan areas such as London and Aberdeen, although hydrogen fuel cell airplanes have also taken flight in latest several years.
Just very last 7 days, designs to develop a sea-likely ferry run utilizing hydrogen gas cells advanced just after it was introduced that a business deal for the development of a thought style had been awarded.
“We know hydrogen has a purpose to play in the long run powertrain blend throughout the full transport business, and together with battery electric cars,” Ralph Clague, head of hydrogen and gasoline cells for Jaguar Land Rover, mentioned in a assertion.
Clague went on to incorporate that it available “one more zero tailpipe emission resolution for the specific capabilities and necessities” of JLR’s auto line-up.
Jaguar Land Rover is not the only automotive organization to appear at hydrogen-powered vehicles. Other makers that have dipped into the hydrogen fuel mobile industry involve Toyota and Honda, even though scaled-down companies this sort of as Riversimple are also doing work on hydrogen driven cars and trucks.