Jaguar Hybrid Confirmed

We already knew back in April that Jaguar and Land Rover were working on Hybrid technologies, after they got a £300 million loan from the EIB to help push forward their ‘Green’ credentials. But Jaguar’s Chief Engineer – Kevin Stride – has revealed more about their plans, and taken a swipe at Lexus Hybrids in to the bargain.

Although it is believed that Land Rover are going to adopt Hybrid systems similar to those we already see in cars like the Lexus RX450h, Jaguar are turning the current Hybrid system on its head and making the electric motor the principal method of propulsion, with the traditional oily bits as the charging system.

According to Kevin, this is the logical and efficient route to pursue. Electric motors are far more efficient than the internal combustion engine – and deliver maximum torque right across the range –  and as such should be the principal means of propulsion in a Hybrid. This is a similar concept to the Vauxhall Ampera’s system, and would be a plug-in Hybrid with probably a small 4-pot petrol or diesel engine used to charge the system.

Internal combustion engines work most efficiently when kept at a constant speed, and by using them as a generator for the electric motors this can be achieved. The result would be a Hybrid car that was fuel efficient regardless of load. The same cannot be said of current Hybrids which are far less efficient when pushed hard.

In a swipe at Lexus Hybrids, Kevin said “Technically it’s not the right option, but commercially it has been the right answer because it has done wonders for the perception of their brand.”, which is pretty much what we’ve been banging on about, and is the only reason Honda has jumped on the Hybrid bandwagon, despite their publicly stated views that Hybrid technology as it currently exists is just a short-term solution.

Of course, utilising a system with these principles means it is a very small step to replace the generator (the engine) with Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology as soon as it becomes viable. That is probably some way off yet, but it does offer up the prospect of the much-teased new Jaguar XJ offering a Hybrid version in the near future, which could relatively easily become a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid as soon as Hybrid Fuel Cells make the leap to commercial viability.

Now that will be progress.

Source: Drive