Report: Jaguar builds all-electric XJ test vehicle

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:12:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Jaguar, Land Rover, UK, Electric

2011 Jaguar XJ - Click above for high-res image gallery

According to Autocar in the UK, Jaguar Land Rover is still hard at work on series hybrid vehicles. Similar to the stance General Motors has taken with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, Jaguar believes that the only real way electric vehicles can be made compatible with everyday life is to add a small range-extending gasoline-powered engine that's capable of keeping the batteries charged on the go.

Unlike GM, though, Jaguar has seen fit to contract its small engine work out to Lotus, which makes sense given the two British company's differing product specialties. Lotus has reportedly delivered a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that generates 35kW of power, which is carried - with a little help from a UK government grant or two - inside a new 2011 XJ sedan with a lithium ion battery pack.

Motive force comes courtesy of what Autocar believes is a 145kW (194 horsepower) electric motor with 295 pound-feet of torque. Performance specifications sound pretty good - though not quite as impressive as we might have imagined - assuming all of this is accurate, with a range of 600 miles, combined fuel economy of 47 miles per gallon (57 mpg UK) and carbon emissions of under 120 g/km. Top speed would reportedly come in at 112 miles per hour.

An unnamed source at Jaguar tells Autocar that the electric XJ handles quite well "because of the bulk that's removed from car when you strip out the conventional drivetrain." Future Range Rover models are also rumored to get a similar drivetrain.

Gallery: 2010 Jaguar XJ

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Jaguar builds all-electric XJ test vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sneak peek at Jaguar's 'Limo-Green' series hybrid concept

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Jaguar, Lotus, Electric

For the past year, Jaguar, Lotus, Caparo Vehicle technologies and the MIRA proving ground have been working on a UK government-funded project dubbed Limo-Green. The goal of the project was to develop and build a series hybrid luxury sedan. Earlier this week, Jaguar showed off the car for the first time. Most of the powertrain development work was done using a last generation XJ, but recently all the hardware was moved into the just launched 2010 Jaguar XJ.

Like the Chevy Volt and Fisker Karma, the Limo-Green uses an electric motor for propulsion, in this case a 145 kW, 295 lb-ft unit. A lithium battery pack moves the car for 30 miles on a charge and then the Lotus-developed 1.2-liter range extender takes over for the remainder of the 600-mile range. We've contacted Jaguar for more information, but we're still waiting to hear back. In the meantime, AutoCar is reporting that the big Jag gets 47 mpg (US) on the EU combined cycle with CO2 emissions under 120 g/km.

[Source: AutoCar]

Sneak peek at Jaguar's 'Limo-Green' series hybrid concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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