Photo Credit: JLR
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR, Coventry, U.K.) has long been a proponent of lightweighting vehicles through the use of aluminum, but the company is clearly material-neutral as it is leading a consortium of companies and researchers in the U.K. Tucana project, a four-year undertaking with the objective of developing lightweight structures.
Jaguar Land Rover’s objective is to reduce vehicle stiffness by 30%, cut weight by 35 kilograms (77 pounds) and improve the crash safety structure. Much of this is to be achieved by replacing steel and aluminum structures with those made with composites.
Lighter weight structures are important for electric vehicles, as reduced mass can mean either smaller batteries or extended range.
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Jaguar Land Rover is conducting research into advanced lightweight composites for use in future electric vehicles.
The ultimate goal is to develop “vehicle and powertrain structures” that eschew aluminum and steel for lightweight composites that are strong enough to withstand the increased torque generated by electric powertrains.
If the company is successful, we can expect lighter and more efficient electric vehicles that could also offer an increased range as well as a more dynamic driving experience.
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However, the goals are relatively modest as the company is aiming for a 77 lbs (35 kg) weight reduction as well as a 30% increase in vehicle stiffness. As part of this mission, the crash safety structure will be refined and outfitted with “tailored composites” such as carbon fiber.
Jaguar Land Rover showcases lightweight materials project
The Tucana Project looks into composite lightweight materials
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has detailed a new project – dubbed Tucana – which will investigate how lightweight composite materials can be used in its vehicles.
The four-year project will see a consortium of industry leaders come together, with businesses such as the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Expert Tooling & Automation, Broetje-Automation UK, Toray International UK, CCP Gransden, and The Centre for Modelling & Simulation (CFMS) joining forces to develop these new materials.
JLR hopes that the programme will make the UK into a world leader in low-carbon technology, helping to stop 4.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere between 2023 and 2032. This will be achieved through the furthered use or both electric vehicles and lightweight materials which will, in turn, decrease tailpipe emissions.