Many experienced automotive engineers will tell you a diesel-electric hybrid drivetrain is a much smarter idea than petrol-electric.
Jaguar Land Rover has developed such a system and despite its cumbersome name – the Range_e Plug-In Diesel-Electric Hybrid System – and the fact it doesn’t enter production until next year, the British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has awarded Jaguar Land Rover its 2011 Award for Automotive Innovation.
The Range_e equipped Range Rover will be the world’s first luxury all-wheel-drive vehicle with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. At the heart is Jaguar Land Rover’s 180kW 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel and a 69kW electric motor powered by a 14.2kWh lithium-ion battery.
Based on the Range Rover Sport model, when the Range_e version arrives, you can expect around 15kms running on pure electric power and fuel consumption around 2.8l/100kms.
Handing over the award, SMMT CEO, Paul Everitt said: Jaguar Land Rover has engineered and manufactured a highly efficient and technologically advanced prototype vehicle that clearly demonstrates industry’s commitment to lowering vehicle emissions and creating exiting vehicles for demanding customers.”
