Land Rover Technology

By Richard Yarrow

22nd July 2008

Land Rover has used the British Motor Show to unveil its vision of the future – and the eco-friendly technology that will drive it there.

The key component is a diesel hybrid transmission with an Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD). It first appeared on the LRX concept, but is now undergoing development testing in a pair of Freelanders.

The idea is to cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by a minimum of 20 per cent. However, product development director Phil Hodgkinson admitted: “There’s a lot of kit and some of it is very expensive. Research has shown that there is a willingness among people to pay for this technology, but they want something for it. We have to give them a choice to buy it.”

One of the biggest issues is the packaging. On the prototypes, many of the additional components take up boot space. As Hodgkinson acknowledged: “It’s one thing to do it as a concept, it’s another to do it on a production car.”

Another issue is the electrical integration, because the new technology impacts on almost every aspect of the car. “This isn’t something that can transplanted into an existing model at a mid-life facelift. It’s for the next generation of Land Rovers, but we’re not putting a date on that.”

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