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Vince Cable drives new Hybrid Range Rover

Ken Gibson joins the business secretary as he drives the latest cars from Aston, Land Rover and Jaguar.

Vince Cable Range Rover

By Ken Gibson

31st August 2010

It’s a world-first head-to-head – the new Business Secretary and the greenest Range Rover ever made! Auto Express got exclusive access to the man every British car boss wants to talk to: Vince Cable. And we did it in the most appropriate way possible – we joined the minister for a ride in a new Range Rover Sport hybrid.

As Business Secretary, Cable is the man responsible for keeping the wheels of the UK car industry moving. So he’s just visited three of Britain’s most famous names: Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover at their Gaydon home in Warwickshire.

The new green face of 4x4s, the Sport gets a range-extending petrol engine hooked up to an electric hybrid drive system. Its target is to slash CO2 emissions to 130g/km and give the model the ability to run for at least 12 miles on pure electric power with no emissions at all.

A range of around 350 miles and 50mpg fuel economy are likely when the hybrid goes on sale in 2013. After his drive, an impressed Cable said: “These vehicles will end the image of large 4x4s as gas-guzzlers.”

He also tested a prototype Limo Green version of the new Jaguar XJ (driven in Issue 1,117). “Such models show Britain’s premium car sector is more than capable of rising to the environmental challenge facing the industry,” he said.

Cable admitted that he had been surprised by the fact that Britain’s top automotive brands – Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover – accounted for 20 per cent of the nation’s car output and 50 per cent of the jobs in the industry.

He acknowledged: “The UK’s premium sector makes an enormous contribution to our economy. This is something in which we excel, and our cars are exported all over the world.”

Cable added that the Government would look at proposals asking for assistance from any auto manufacturers in the UK. He said ministers had already met General Motors Europe bosses and encouraged them to build their new Ampera electric vehicle at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire.

Vince's Drive in an Aston Martin:

It wasn’t only the new hybrid Range Rover that Vince Cable got his hands on – the minister was also able to fulfil a dream by piloting an Aston Martin for the first time.

And he didn’t hang about... he hit 150mph in his dream car, a £179,500 V12 Vantage Volante. It was the fastest drive of his life and a far cry from his usual Vauxhall Astra estate!

As well as the mighty, range-topping, 510bhp 6.0-litre V12-engined two-seater convertible, Cable got behind the wheel of three other Aston Martin models: the V12 Vantage, the DBS Coupé and the latest, facelifted DB9 Coupé, all on the manufacturer’s high-speed test track at its base at Gaydon, Warks.

He also looked around the firm’s headquarters, and then took the wheel of the prototype Limo Green version of the new Jaguar XJ. Powered by a small petrol engine and electric motor, it can run up to 30 miles on zero-emissions electricity only, but has an overall range of 500 miles with a petrol engine that returns 57mpg.

The minister, who clearly enjoys speed, got a totally different Jaguar experience when he was then shown the art of sideways ‘drifting’ around a track in a Jaguar XKR Black Edition, driven by the marque’s handling guru, Mike Cross.

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8 Comments

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By zjone on 6 September, 2010, 11:28am

Doesn't add up

If a Range Rover has a fuel tank size of about 19 gallons, and the new hybrid vehicle has a tank range of 350 miles, I don't know where 50mpg comes from, I make it 17mpg, unless they've reduced the tank size to 7 gallons.

By pnew98 on 6 September, 2010, 9:38pm

Vince Cable knows very little about the industry, it would seem.

"Britain’s top automotive brands – Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover"... Does he realise Rolls-Royce and Bentley are German-owned, and Jaguar Land Rover is Indian-owned? At least Aston are owned by Prodrive, so that's one British brand...

By ian0KE on 7 September, 2010, 8:21am

Where's the journalism?

Typical Auto Express piece, trotting out the car companies' PR for them. Do you honestly think that a 2.5 tonne (probably 3 tonne including the batteries and electric motors) behemoth can achieve a real-world 50mpg, even with hybrid technology? It's all hype, just designed to salve the consciences of the ignorant rich who buy these things. The truth remains that it is crazy for people to buy a 2.5 tonne vehicle to transport a human being who may weigh 70kg or so, even with the sop that is hybrid technology. The only way that the image of gas-guzzling 4x4s will end is if they dramatically reduce their weight and size (like many of the crossovers have achieved). Let's face it, they are simply p*nis replacements for those whose self-image is not secure anyway.

By ncollingridge on 7 September, 2010, 8:39am

Silly anti-4x4 commments

I see AE has attracted silly anti-4x4 comments from the usual factually challenged suspects. Land Rovers/Range Rovers are multi-purpose vehicles - try towing a large heavy caravan with your bicycle or your lighweight crossover.

By biggsy24 on 7 September, 2010, 8:46am

Range Rover LOL

To be seen on a recovery truck near you soon....
They still haven't fixed the old models faults.... the 2010 models are breaking down too.... like this is going to work.

By skyliner38 on 7 September, 2010, 9:03am

this does sound like a but of a jolly, excuse to get out of the office for the MPs. i wouldn't mind a blast round a test track in an aston and xkr either. in exchange for the usual PR lark. stand there, smile and have you picture taken.
"runs 12 mile son pure electric power". i actually laughed out load when i read that.

this hole thing about humans shouldnt drive big cars things is really boring. what next, you cant have a big house, because homeless people exist? you shouldnt go out to dinner, because some people dont have any food. WHF
how about all these people who are still having huge familys when they know they cant afford to feed them! now thats sheer stupidity for you. talk about digging yourself a big hole, then expecting everyone else to come to the rescue and sort it out for them.
the only problem effecting this world is over population, and no one even ever mentions it! its always this rubbish about you cant drive the car that you want. well there will always be rich and poor people, and all the socialists better get used to it!

By nakiko on 7 September, 2010, 1:37pm

Not Green

50% of the emissions from a road vehicle, through the life cycle of the vehicle, come at the time of manufacture. As you can imagine, the manufacture of a 2.5-3 tonne vehicle will involve a lot of emissions. No matter how efficient a heavy vehicle becomes, a lighter vehicle is always going to be more environmentally friendly. It is all relative. Bigger vehicle = hotter planet.

By teuchter2004b on 8 September, 2010, 2:36pm

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