Jaguar to use Fortescue battery software to boost charging times for EVs

UK car giant JLR – formerly known as Jaguar Land Rover and now owned by India’s Tata Motors – has struck a deal to use battery software developed by Australia’s Fortescue to accelerate charging times of its electric vehicles.

The software – known as Elysia – will be used initially in JLR’s soon to be released electric Range Rover, and is expected to quicken charging times, improve reliability and boost range for this and other electric models.

The technology emerged from Fortescue investment in Williams Advanced Engineering, the engineering group behind the successful Williams racing team , and it hopes to extend the deals to other car makers in the future.

“The lessons and innovations we have both learned from motorsport are now being applied to the management of battery systems on our roads, unlocking a leading future of EV performance for JLR’s customers,” Mark Hutchinson, the head of Fortescue Energy, said in a statement.

“Through Fortescue’s breakthrough battery intelligence software, JLR will benefit from a new level of access to battery data and a revolutionary way to monitor its products in the real world, ensuring that every product lives up to the brand’s exceptionally high standards.

The Elysia software is designed to enhance battery longevity, safety and overall performance and is Fortescue’s first collaboration with the broader auto industry. It is also working on battery and charging designs for electric haul trucks, “infinity” trains and electric mining vehicles.

Fortescue says the software uses “physics-informed digital twins and probabilistic artificial intelligence” to identify and solve battery issues, which helps optimise battery performance and safety.

JLR intends to electrify all its brands by 2030 and achieve carbon net zero by 2039.

“Fortescue’s technology will provide JLR with even greater access to data analytics, integral as we electrify our entire vehicle portfolio by 2030,” Thomas Mueller, Executive Director, Product Engineering at JLR.

“As the industry transitions towards electrification, collaborations such as these are paramount, as we look to further enhance the safety, performance and lifetime of our batteries.”