Jaguar Land Rover wants to achieve zero tailpipe emissions by 2036, and one of the steps it’s taking to make that a reality is developing a hydrogen fuel cell-powered Defender. The automaker says it’s presently dealing with a prototype and plans to begin testing the no-emission version of its notable SUV towards the finish of 2021 in the UK.
Hydrogen fuel cells can power a vehicle by joining hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity, with just water as emission. Jaguar clarifies that fuel cells enable fast refueling and have high energy density, making them ideal for bigger and longer-range vehicles. Further, vehicles powered by fuel cells perform well in cold environments, since they show negligible loss of range in low temperatures.
The organization has named the work it’s doing to develop the clean energy vehicle as “Project Zeus.” Partly funded by the UK government-backed Advanced Propulsion Center, the initiative will give Jaguar’s engineers the data they should have the option to optimize a hydrogen powertrain. The expectation is to develop fuel cell vehicles that can deliver the same performance and capability — with regards to range, off-road ability and even towing — as their conventional counterparts.
As well as focusing on zero tailpipe emissions by 2036, Jaguar additionally desires to arrive at net zero carbon emissions across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039. The two goals are part of its “Reimagine” methodology declared back in February when the automaker uncovered that it will just form all-electric vehicles beginning in 2025.
Jaguar didn’t uncover a timetable for the energy unit Defender other than it will begin going through a battery of tests this year to verify key attributes, including off-road capability and fuel consumption.
