A hybrid Jaguar could be available as early as 2013 thanks to the technology sharing partnership between Jaguar and Land Rover, according to UK motoring magazine CAR.
Last week Land Rover confirmed its first hybrid models would be launched in 2013 and CAR says Jaguar will follow suit “soon after”.
Jaguar’s first hybrids are expected to be based on the XF and XJ before the fuel-saving technology flows on throughout the range.
Land Rover is currently working on the Range_e, a diesel-electric vehicle based on the Range Rover Sport that will combine a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel, 35kW electric motor and the new ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. Testing is due to begin later this year.
A similar system could be applied to the future Jaguars, and Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR) chief hybrid engineer, Peter Richings, confirmed to CAR that the transmission can be fitted to any of its cars with a longitudinal layout, including the XK, Discovery and Range Rover, and from four-cylinder to V8 petrol engines.
JLR currently employs 100 hybrid powertrain engineers in the UK and is developing both diesel- and petrol-powered hybrids for both brands.
Work is also well-advanced on the system to replace the hybrids introduced in 2013, with JLR focusing on lithium-ion plug-in hybrid technology for 2015. The early word from JLR is that intial performance figures include an all-electric range of 33km, CO2 emissions less than 100g/km and a top speed of up to 113km/h.
