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 Lightweight projecting

26 January 2021

  • Tucana consortium will allow Jaguar Land Rover to make future electric vehicles go further using advanced composites such as carbon fibre
  • Research will deliver longer zero‑emissions range, greater performance and a more dynamic driving experience
  • Project aims to prevent 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions between 2023 and 2032
  • Programme will make UK a global leader in low‑carbon technology

Tuesday 26th January 2021, Whitley, UK – Jaguar Land Rover is preparing for future electric vehicles with advanced lightweight composite research that will help deliver increased range, greater performance and a more dynamic drive.

The Tucana project is a four year programme to make the UK a world leader in low‑carbon technology, helping prevent 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions between 2023 and 2032 by accelerating mainstream use of electric vehicles and making vehicles lighter to both decrease tailpipe emissions and reduce energy consumption of electrified powertrains.

The research will allow Jaguar Land Rover to develop lightweight vehicle and powertrain structures by replacing aluminium and steel with composites capable of handling the increased torque generated by high‑performance batteries, while improving efficiency and reducing CO2 impact.

Jaguar Land Rover aims to increase vehicle stiffness by 30 per cent, cut weight by 35kg and further refine the crash safety structure through the strategic use of tailored composites, such as carbon fibre. Reducing the vehicle body weight will allow the fitting of larger batteries with increased range – without impacting CO2 emissions.

Advanced composites offer significant reductions in vehicle weight, and by 2022, Jaguar Land Rover expects to have developed a fleet of prototype Tucana test vehicles.

The consortium, led by Jaguar Land Rover, brings together world‑leading academic and industry partners including the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Expert Tooling & Automation, Broetje‑Automation UK, Toray International UK, CCP Gransden and The Centre for Modelling & Simulation (CFMS).

The development of new lightweight body structures to complement the latest zero‑emissions powertrains will be key as the electrification of our vehicle range continues. This project will allow the true environmental credentials of electric vehicles to be realised by enabling wider adoption of the technology and will propel Jaguar Land Rover and the UK supply chain into a world‑leading position in low‑carbon technology.

Marcus Henry
Research Manager at Jaguar Land Rover

Tucana shows how new technology development can be optimised and accelerated with digital engineering. Using new digital design, development and manufacturing tools helps to deliver emissions reduction faster, so the UK economy can reach zero emissions quicker.

Ian Risk
Chief Technology Officer at CFMS

The continued electrification of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles is part of a commitment to make societies safer and healthier through innovative technology. Jaguar has completed the electrification of its PACE family with the P300e plug‑in hybrid powertrain offered on the new Jaguar E‑PACE and P400e for Jaguar F‑PACE alongside the all‑electric Jaguar I‑PACE. Similarly, the new Range Rover Velar is now offered with the P400e, completing the hybrid options available across the Range Rover family.

Further information

Jaguar Land Rover PR social channels:

‑ Twitter: @JLR_News

LinkedIn: @JaguarLandRover

 

For more information visit www.media.jaguarlandrover.com or contact:

 

Linda Luong

Corporate Affairs Officer – Global External Communications

lluong@jaguarlandrover.com

+44 7384 232691

Notes to Editors

For more information about Destination Zero please visit https://www.jaguarlandrover.com/2019/strategy

About Tucana

Tucana brings together a consortium of world‑leading academic and industry partners with the aim of delivering stiffer and lighter vehicle structures, to boost the performance of electrified vehicles. Project Tucana will deliver this vision by developing world‑leading cost effective, scalable carbon fibre composite solutions. In doing so the project will allow the true environmental credentials of electric vehicles to be realised by enabling wider adoption. Tucana will deliver this step‑change by addressing structural performance at a design, material and volume manufacturing‑level which is currently unmet across the industry.

About Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands. Land Rover is the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all‑wheel‑drive vehicles. Jaguar is one of the world’s premier luxury marques, as well as being the first ever brand to offer a premium all‑electric performance SUV, the Jaguar I‑PACE.

At Jaguar Land Rover we are driven by a desire to deliver class‑leading vehicles, providing experiences people love, for life. Our products are in demand around the globe and in 2020 we sold 425,974 vehicles in 127 countries.

At heart we are a British company, with two major design and engineering sites, three vehicle manufacturing facilities, an Engine Manufacturing Centre and soon to be opened Battery Assembly Centre. We also have vehicle plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria and Slovakia. Three of our seven technology hubs are in the UK – Manchester, Warwick (NAIC) and London – with additional sites in Shannon, Ireland, Portland, USA, Budapest, Hungary and Changshu, China.

We have a growing portfolio of electrified products across our model range, embracing fully electric, plug‑in hybrid and mild‑hybrid vehicles, as well as continuing to offer the latest diesel and petrol engines, giving our customers even more choice.

We are confident that our comprehensive strategy, exciting pipeline of market‑leading vehicles and innovative approach to technology and mobility will see us continue to progress towards Destination Zero, our mission to shape future mobility with zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion.