Jaguar Land Rover on Wednesday unveiled its “most advanced and efficient” electric race car to compete for next season’s Formula E championship, which it says will support its “all-electric” transition. electricity” broader.
The new third-generation vehicle – dubbed the I-TYPE 6 – is “lighter, stronger and faster” than its predecessors, boasting a top speed of 200 mph (320 km). /H), Jaguar speak.
The largest British car manufacturer, owned by India tata Motors, is bidding to become an all-electric brand by 2025, as part of outgoing boss Thierry Bollore’s ambitious “Reimagine” strategy.
The entire group is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2039 and hopes to transfer technology from its Formula E business.
“It’s not about transferring hardware. It’s about building a body of knowledge,” said Thomas Muller, executive director of product engineering.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the launch of the new Formula E car in London, he said developments in areas such as engine and battery management could prove most useful for delivery.
Muller notes that consumer demand for racing and road cars is markedly different, with the I-TYPE 6 interested in providing “instant power”.
Even so, the vehicle is “critical” to the company’s all-electric goal by 2025, he added.
The brand currently has only one all-electric model, the I-Pace, and it won’t be until 2024 for the next model in the lineup, as well as the first all-electric Land Rover model.
The automaker has been going through a rough patch recently, with Bollore’s resignation in mid-November “for personal reasons”.
Meanwhile, a global shortage of semiconductor chips has forced the company to cut production in the UK.
Fluctuations in raw material costs and availability also continue to weigh on the manufacturer, which has been losing money year-on-year since 2019.
Jaguar competed in Formula 1 from 2000 to 2004 and entered Formula E from 2016.
Its New Zealand driver Mitch Evans finished second in the world championship last August.
Date of first publication: December 1, 2022, 09:08 AM IST
