2013 Audi A3

Jaguar engineer confirms hybrid plans, says Lexus hybrids are inefficient

 
1,601 views Jun 16, 2009

next gen jaguar xj spy shots 007

Badging the 510hp supercharged XJ an ‘SV8’ will leave space for an eventual ‘XJR’ with an even more powerful engine

Badging the 510hp supercharged XJ an ‘SV8’ will leave space for an eventual ‘XJR’ with an even more powerful engine

Enlarge Photo
Jaguar is well underway in the development of its next-generation XJ saloon and despite the company’s financial hardship the car is still on track for a debut in the second half of next year. For the current XJ, Jaguar looked to its past for inspiration and this definitely hurt its sales, especially when compared to rivals like the Mercedes Benz S-Class and BMW 7-series, which have shunned conservative styling in favor of a much more dynamic look.

Jaguar won’t be making the same mistake again. This time around designers are going for a more radical look, borrowing lines from the XF but with even more aggression. However, it isn’t just the styling department kicking it up a gear as the new XJ is also expected to benefit from some very advanced powertrain features.

Thanks to a £307 million loan from the European Investment Bank, Jaguar, together with Land Rover, will develop a raft of new hybrid technologies for its future models. While Land Rover is expected to use a more conventional hybrid system like the one in the Toyota Prius, where both an electric motor and internal combustion engine drive the wheels, the system planned by Jaguar will be similar to the set-up in the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.

Speaking with Drive, Jaguar’s chief engineer Kevin Stride confirmed the company was working on a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that will use an internal combustion engine to act as a back-up generator for an electric motor, rather than the main source of power.

Stride explained that conventional hybrid systems, such as those used by Lexus, are “inefficient”. He said this was “because a petrol engine isn’t as efficient as an electric motor. You want your most efficient motor driving the wheels.”

Furthermore, conventional internal combustion engines are most efficient when running at a constant RPM, and this is how it would be set up as a back-up generator in Jaguar’s future plug-in hybrid drivetrain. When revved hard, Lexus and Toyota’s hybrid engines provided few benefits over conventional petrol units, Stride said.

Other green technologies being developed at Jaguar include engine stop-start and brake-energy recovery systems.
Spy shots: 2011 Jaguar XJ
2011 Jaguar XJ

HI-RES GALLERY: next gen jaguar xj spy shots 007

HI-RES GALLERY: 2011 jaguar xj teaser 001




Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Connect with Facebook

Motor Authority. Now with your friends.

Discover stories your friends read.
Share stories more easily.
You control what you share.
Learn more

Research New Cars

Go!

More from High Gear Media

 
 
MotorAuthority
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2011 MotorAuthority. All Rights Reserved. MotorAuthority is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.