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Jaguar Land Rover hydrogen SUV is coming

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is developing an SUV based on a hydrogen fuel cell platform, according to an announcement from the UK government.


The hydrogen SUV program, known as Project ZEUS, is part of a £73.5 million (AU$132.2M) UK government initiative to develop low emission vehicles.

Project ZEUS stands for 'zero and low-emissions vehicles in urban society'.

 

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Jaguar Land Rover will be working with four companies on the SUV project featuring off-road capabilities, low temperature performance, quick refill, and a long range.

Project ZEUS is one of ten programs to receive a share of the government funding to help future-proof the UK's local automotive industry, while aiming to reduce emissions to zero by 2050.

 

Hydrogen technology gains momentum

Hydrogen fuel cell technology has seen a resurgence of interest in the automotive industry recently, with manufacturers such as BMW and Toyota collaborating to produce the next generation of hydrogen vehicles.

 

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BMW first introduced a hydrogen vehicle in 2005. The German automaker sold around 100 of the dual-fuel 7 Series models that ran on both hydrogen and petrol. However, hydrogen was significantly less efficient at the time, averaging around 50-litres per 100 kilometres.

The fuel cell technology in the BMW i Hydrogen NEXT concept is expected to filter down to production cars from as early as 2025.

Meanwhile, new Australian hydrogen car company H2X announced last week the company would be partnering with Canberra-based Elvin Group Renewables to manufacture hydrogen production units locally.

It's expected this collaboration will result in a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, with H2X announcing its intention to bring local car manufacturing back to Australia.

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Ben Zachariah

Ben Zachariah is an experienced writer and motoring journalist from Melbourne, having worked in the automotive industry for more than two decades. Ben began writing professionally more than 15 years ago and was previously an interstate truck driver. He completed his MBA in Finance in early 2021 and is considered an expert on classic car investment.

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