Jaguar Reportedly Builds All-Electric XJ, Says Only Self-Charging EV Makes Sense
By Scott Doggett February 4, 2010
A "senior insider" told the British magazine Autocar that Jaguar Land Rover envisages some of the world's most important cities gradually introducing zero-emissions and zero-pollution zones and, as a result, has created an all-electric version of the new Jaguar XJ.
As these insiders see it, all vehicles unable to run purely on batteries would be banned from the designated zones. Hence, Jaguar's decision to produce an electric XJ - a test vehicle for the automaker, mind you, not something that'll be rolling off a production line anytime soon.
According to the insiders, only a self-charging electric car could have sufficient zero-emissions range to be a practical mode of transportation for everyday life. That sentiment would suggest that they see an onboard fuel cell as a necessary component of future EVs.
For now, it's thought that the electric XJ test model will be powered by a 145-kilowatt hour, 295-pound-feet-of-torque electric motor fueled by a lithium-ion battery pack - and that the pack will soon be topped up by an on-board 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline-engine generator designed by Lotus specifically for self-charging electric vehicles.
In other words, the EV will be made into a range-extended hybrid like the Chevrolet Volt.
This drivetrain is claimed to offer a range of 600 miles, plus combined fuel economy of 57 miles per gallon (British, not U.S.) and a top speed of 112 miles per hour.
Jaguar sources also say that the handling and performance of the electric XJ is likely to surprise people "because of the bulk that's removed from car when you strip out the conventional drivetrain."
If, as many expect, future Range Rover models are based on the same floor and crash structure as the new X351-series XJ, the same technology could be applied to the company's SUVs.
Jaguar and Lotus are now developing the technology with financial help from the British government's Technology Strategy Board.
Lord Drayson, the U.K.'s Minister of Science, told Autocar last year that electric cars would play a "huge part in the future of motoring in this country."
LEAVE A COMMENT