NEWS

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G r a n Tur i s m o R oa d s t e r r ev ea l e d

FOLLOWING THE success of the original Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Coupé and the extreme Vision Gran Turismo SV endurance racer, Jaguar has designed a third, all-electric virtual-only race car, the Roadster, which is available on Gran Turismo 7, the latest iteration of the world-renowned racing game.

With a few nods towards the classic D-type – including a modern interpretation of the fin synonymous with the three-time Le Mans-winning car – the Roadster is designed to bring gamers the pure, visceral driving experience of an open-cockpit Jaguar sports car.

According to Jaguar, power from the battery of this virtual-only car is fed to three light, powerful and compact motors, developed using learning from Jaguar Racing’s Formula E experience. With one motor on the front axle and two on the

rear, the total output is 1,020PS (750kW) and 1,200Nm of immediate, electrifying torque. Players will experience this for themselves when they accelerate away from the start line on their way to a maximum speed of more than 200mph. Enhancing the experience still further are the new features that Polyphony Digital Inc has developed for Gran Turismo 7 which is available for PS4 and PS5 consoles. “We are delighted to announce the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster, which completes the trilogy of Jaguar Vision vehicles for Gran Turismo 7,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of Gran Turismo and president of Polyphony Digital Inc. “It was a great experience to work with the Design team at Jaguar. We look forward to drivers getting behind the virtual wheel in the new game. All three cars lend themselves perfectly to the exciting new user experience that GT7 will offer.” 0e479381-0069-45af-b2a9-c0a37e1e14de 0e479381-0069-45af-b2a9-c0a37e1e14de

I-PACE BATTERIES REUSED FOR STORAGE SYSTEM

Jaguar’s engineering team have worked with Pramac, an Italian specialist in portable generators, to develop a zero-emissions energy storage unit powered by secondlife Jaguar I-PACE batteries, taken from prototype and engineering test vehicles.

Called the Off Grid Battery Energy Storage System (ESS), Pramac’s technology – which features lithium-ion cells from oneand-a-half second-life I-PACE batteries –supplies zero-emissions power where access to the mains supply is limited or unavailable.

To showcase its capability, the unit helped Jaguar Racing prepare for the 2022 FIA Formula E World Championship during testing in the UK and Spain, where it was used to run the team’s diagnostic equipment and to supply auxiliary power to the Jaguar pit garage.

The flagship ESS system has a capacity of up to 125kWh – more than enough to fully charge Jaguar’s all-electric I-PACE, or to power a regular family home for a week. Charged from solar panels, the unit is a selfcontained solution that consists of a battery system linked to a bi-directional converter and the associated control management systems. Available for commercial hire, the units are fitted with Type 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charge connections with dynamic control and rated at up to 22kW AC to allow electric vehicle charging.

“This announcement is a great example of how we will collaborate with industry leaders to deliver our sustainable future and achieve a truly circular economy,” said Andrew Whitworth, battery manager, of the circular economy team at Jaguar Land Rover. “We’re delighted to be working with Pramac to use Jaguar I-PACE second-life batteries to provide portable zero-emissions power and supporting Jaguar Racing this season was an excellent opportunity to demonstrate what these units are capable of.”

UK government invests in charging network

The British government has outlined plans to increase the number of public EV chargers tenfold by 2030, which would see the equivalent of “five times the number of fuel pumps” roadside.

The 300,000 new chargepoints are stated to come as part of an expansion to the government’s ‘Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy’ by some £1.6bn, with £500m in-hand to provide, “high quality, competitively priced chargepoints to communities across the UK”.

This comes on top of the existing ‘Rapid Charging Fund’ with 6,000 ‘super-fast’ chargepoints earmarked for English motorways by 2035.

“Clean transport isn’t just better for the environment but is another way we can drive down our dependence on external energy supplies,” said the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, during the announcement on 25 March 2022. “It will also create new high-skilled jobs for our automotive and energy sectors and ultimately secure more sustainable and affordable motoring for all.”

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) boss Mike Hawes added: “Consumers already have certainty about the vehicles, with ever-increasing choice, thanks to billions of pounds of manufacturer investment, but charging infrastructure must keep pace with the rapid growth of sales of these cars.

“The EV infrastructure strategy points in the right direction, addressing problems with the current customer charging experience and setting out a nationally co-ordinated, locally delivered plan which aims to ‘build ahead of need’.”

Return of museum’s Gathering events

The British Motor Museum’s Gathering events are returning for 2022. Each Gaydon Gathering is an informal evening aimed at all motoring enthusiasts, taking place on the first Tuesday of each month – and they’re completely free to attend with up to 500 vehicles at each of last year’s get-togethers.

Although there are no fees, pre-booking is essential. Tickets will be available online a few weeks before each event and will be announced on the museum’s social media pages.

Display vehicles will be parked in front of the museum with separate free parking for those visitors who aren’t displaying. The dates for the 2022 Gatherings are May 10, June 14, July 12, August 9, September 12 and October 11.

For more information or to book tickets visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on

JLR PLANS BATTERY FACTORY

According to a report in the Financial Times, Jaguar Land Rover is planning a major plant in Teesside to produce batteries for its future electric vehicles. The factory would be in partnership with lithium battery manufacturer, Envision AESC.

JLR plans for its Jaguar brand to go all-electric from 2025 and meanwhile an all-electric Range Rover is due to be launched by Land Rover in 2024.

JLR declined to comment on the speculation telling the FT: “We are exploring all options at this time. No decisions have been made.”

Envision added that it is in “regular contact” with a number of car makers but would not comment on “private discussions”.

The proposed site in Teesside, Teesworks, is the largest brownfield site in Europe and covers 4,500 acres, including land from the former SSI steelworks which closed in 2015.

The site is now being repurposed with a focus on net zero industries such as carbon capture. This involves removing carbon dioxide from big producers such as factories at source, then pumping it out to sea into underground stores.

ASTON MARTIN DRIVER LAUNCHES

A new quarterly magazine dedicated to all things Aston Martin has been launched by the company behind Jaguar World, Kelsey Publishing.

Aston Martin Driver will focus on the legendary British marque that has been synonymous with style, prestige and performance for over 100 years. It will feature iconic models like the DB5 and DB6 through to attainable modern classics such as the DB7 and V8 Vantage. The current line-up will also be featured with full tests of the latest versions as well as nostalgic features about the brand’s illustrious past plus practical advice on owning and maintaining an Aston Martin.

AMD will be available from newsagents at £5.99 per issue or you can save (including a half-price first issue) by having it delivered direct. To subscribe, head to shop/Kelsey.co.uk/subscription/AMD or call 01959 543747.

JLR pauses delivery to Russia

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) says it has paused the delivery of its cars to Russia due to, “trading challenges” caused by the war in Ukraine. The British car maker sold 6,900 vehicles to Russia last year.

It is thought sanctions imposed by the UK, the EU and the US are making it difficult for JLR to sell cars into the market.

A JLR spokesperson said in a statement its priority was, “The wellbeing of our entire workforce and their families, as well as those within our extended network”.

“The current global context also presents us with trading challenges, so we are pausing the delivery of vehicles into the Russian market and continually monitoring the situation on behalf of our global customer base,” it said.