Although hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have been overtaken by their battery-powered counterparts as the new age mobility choice, a number of carmakers – including Toyota and Hyundai – are still hedging their bets on a potential hydrogen-fuelled future.
Jaguar Land Rover is now joining this list, with the British carmaker having announced that it is developing a prototype fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) based on the Land Rover Defender. The company says that it sees FCEVs as being complementary to battery electric vehicles on the path to a zero-emissions future. In fact forecasts predict that there could be up to 10 million FCEVs on the road, globally, by 2030.
“We know hydrogen has a role to play in the future powertrain mix across the whole transport industry,” said JLR’s head of hydrogen development Ralph Clague. “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. 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 vehicles.”
JLR believes that FCEVs, which generate electricity from hydrogen to power an electric motor, are ideal for larger vehicles that need to cover greater distances, due to their rapid refuelling and minimal loss of range in low temperatures. The availability of hydrogen fuelling stations remains a concern, however JLR does point out that the number is growing at a steady pace.
JLR’s main focus will still be on battery electric vehicles, however, and to that end Jaguar is set to become an all-electric brand from 2025, while Land Rover is planning to offer an all-electric variant of every single model by 2030, with a view to becoming EV-only by 2036.
