Jaguar Land Rover betting on hydrogen for big SUVs

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has begun developing new hydrogen fuel-cell technology for its flagship limousines and large SUVs.

The special research project, working under the ‘Project Zeus’ banner, has been given a deadline to introduce its first fuel-cell hydrogen powered vehicle by around 2025, reports

The first vehicle likely to receive the zero-emission tech is rumoured to be the all-new, third-generation Range Rover Evoque.

Hydrogen fuel-cells will then be rolled out to larger vehicles that could include both the Jaguar XJ limousine and the flagship full-size Range Rover.

It’s thought hydrogen power will be introduced alongside the car-maker’s pure-electric tech to give markets like the UK and Norway another option in the void left by the ban of internal combustion engine powered vehicle sales.

Some countries including the UK have already said they will ban sales of petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles by 2035, while Norway has declared consumers will no longer be able to purchase cars with internal combustion engines from 2025.

In the build up to the full launch of its hydrogen-powered cars, JLR will soon unveil a driveable concept that reportedly may be Range Rover Evoque-sized.

The main draw of hydrogen power is it offers vehicles a long range and refueling time comparable to filling up with petrol or diesel.

Hydrogen power could also be the fuel of choice for countries that may struggle with implementing the charging infrastructure required for pure-electric vehicles.

Commenting on Project Zeus, JLR engineering chief Nick Rogers said: "We’re looking for the right propulsion systems – ones that see minimum interference to the environment.

"Hydrogen is an ideal application for the bigger vehicles [in our line-up], because the bigger the car, you get diminishing returns [when using] battery packs.

"The amount of energy you can store in a battery for a given amount of weight means you’re in a position where you’re making the cars that are so heavy, they’re using [a lot] of energy just to cart that heavy weight about.”

Toyota and Hyundai have both already committed to rolling out more hydrogen-powered vehicles following successful trials with the Mirai and, latterly, the Nexo.

BMW recently announced it will push its i Hydrogen Next SUV into limited production in 2022 and has plans to introduce versions of the X6 and X7 powered by the zero-emission fuel that only emits water vapour.

The key advantage of hydrogen fuel, particularly for markets like Australia, is that it can be created using renewable electricity from wind or solar.

The biggest hurdle at the moment is both the lack of economies of scale and poor refueling infrastructure, plus the high cost of the fuel since most hydrogen is currently produced using natural gas.