Jaguar announces hydrogen-powered Land Rover Defender prototype

British luxury automaker Jaguar Land Rover says it is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, also known as an FCEV, based on the brand’s new Land Rover Defender, and which is scheduled to begin testing this year.

Jaguar Land Rover announced in February that it planned to make its Jaguar brand an all-electric luxury brand by 2025, a first important step on the road to the larger company becoming a net zero carbon business by 2039.

As part of the company’s net zero plans – which subsequently saw the company promise to achieve zero tailpipe emissions across the company’s whole range of vehicles by 2036 – Jaguar Land Rover announced this week that it is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV).

Based on the brand’s new Land Rover Defender, the latest edition of one of the company’s most adored vehicles, the prototype FCEV comes out of the company’s advanced engineering project, known as Project Zeus.

Partly funded by the government-backed Advanced Propulsion Centre, the purpose of Project Zeus is to help engineers understand how a hydrogen powertrain can be optimised to deliver the performance and capability expected by customers – from range to refuelling, towing to off-road ability.

“We know hydrogen has a role to play in the future powertrain mix across the whole transport industry, and alongside battery electric vehicles, it offers another zero tailpipe emission solution for the specific capabilities and requirements of Jaguar Land Rover’s world class line-up of vehicles,” said Ralph Clague, head of hydrogen and fuel cells at Jaguar Land Rover.

“The work done alongside our partners in Project Zeus will help us on our journey to become a net zero carbon business by 2039, as we prepare for the next generation of zero tailpipe emissions vehicle.”

Jaguar Land Rover’s New Defender FCEV is expected to begin testing towards the end of 202 in the UK so as to verify key attributes such as its off-road capability and fuel consumption.

Development of the New Defender FCEV is a result of partnerships between Jaguar Land Rover and world class research & development partners, including Delta Motorsport, AVL, Marelli Automotive Systems, and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).