Jaguar to start testing prototype hydrogen Land Rover in 2021

Jaguar Land Rover will start tests later in 2021 on a hydrogen fuel-cell prototype model based on its Land Rover Defender vehicle as the automaker looks to expand its zero-emission vehicle options, the automaker said on Tuesday.

JLR, owned by India’s Tata Motors, previously said this year that its luxury Jaguar brand will be wholly electric by 2025, and the more rugged, off-road Land Rover brand will introduce six pure electric models during the next five years.

Most of the auto industry is concentrating on its efforts to develop battery-electric cars to fulfill tightening emission standards in Europe and China.

But JLR among the automakers that sees possibilities for the mass adoption of hydrogen fuel cells, which emit only water as they produce electricity, and has said it believes hydrogen has a future role in the automobile industry.

Hydrogen fuel cells offer high energy density and rapid refuelling, and minimal loss of range in low temperatures, making the technology sufficient for larger, longer-range vehicles, or those operated in hot or cold environments, according to the automaker.

The hydrogen Land Rover Defender will undergo tests for confirming major attributes such as off-road capability and fuel consumption.