Jaguar Land Rover reveals new electric self-driving pod to be used on UK roads next year

Jaguar Land Rover today revealed its new electric driverless pod that will be at the heart of new real world autonomous vehicle trials on public roads in Coventry from next year. 

The city will be used as a ‘living laboratory’ by Britain’s biggest car-maker to test how the self-driving pods interact with other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. 

And one of the first to get an early preview of the machine is Prince Charles, who was on hand to officially open the National Automotive Innovation Centre at Warwick University, where the vehicle has been unveiled.

Dubbed ‘Project Vector’, details of the new electric self-driving pod scheme were announced at the official opening of the new technology centre, which is a joint collaboration between the Warwick Manufacturing Group and Jaguar Land Rover. 

The Prince of Wales was in attendance to see the vehicle during the event, which has been used to showcase concepts for the future of sustainable travel from Jaguar Land Rover, its Indian owners Tata Motors and the Warwick Manufacturing Group. 

Prince Charles has already shown himself to be a fan of electric cars, having been seen driven in Jaguar’s battery-powered I-Pace on a number of occasions, using the plug-in vehicle for a variety of events.

The car giant described Project Vector an advanced, flexible, multi-use electric vehicle that is ‘autonomy-ready’.

The pilot programme for the self-driving vehicles to be used on public roads around Coventry is planned ‘from late 2021’, it said.

The trial is part of the manufacturer’s ‘bold next step’ in the journey towards creating a hi-tech future of vehicles with ‘zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion’ which it calls its ‘Destination Zero’.

With sliding glass doors, the compact vehicle measures just four metres in length and is designed as a flexible runaround for the city. 

Its electric batteries and drivetrain are packaged into a flat floor – described as a ‘skateboard’ configuration – with the passenger compartment built on top of it. 

This allows for a variety of uses and means seating is flexible and the vehicle can be configured for two to five people. 

A statement by Jaguar Land Rover said: ‘The revolutionary interior cabin space allows seating configurations for private, or shared use and even the opportunity for commercial applications, such as last mile deliveries.’ 

This helps it to create an ‘autonomous, electric, connected future for urban mobility’.

Interior shots show the pods do have a steering wheel, which can be deployed if the self-drive vehicle is to be over-ridden and driven manually.

Engineers and academics behind the initiative said Project Vector had been created ‘with the mission to raise the quality of future urban living’.

The National Automotive Innovation Centre conducting the trial will work with Coventry City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority to launch the pilot scheme next year.

The company said: ‘Jaguar Land Rover’s Destination Zero mission is an ambition to make societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner.’

Jaguar Land Rover has already been involved in earlier trials using adapted Range Rover Sport 4X4s fitted with self-driving technology.

The new National Automotive Innovation Centre is housed in The Professor Lord Bhattacharyya Building, named after the late pioneering academic who helped create new forms of flexible manufacturing used throughout the motor industry today – such as having different models of car being built on the same line.

The project’s dedicated team will work ‘in the manner of a start-up’ business with links to academic and external partners. 

JLR said: ‘It will also address the wider landscape of mobility, from how customers connect with mobility services, to the infrastructure required to enable fully integrated, autonomous vehicles in our cities.’

Project director Dr Tim Leverton commented: ‘Shared and private vehicles will share spaces with and be connected to public transit networks, so you can travel on demand and autonomously. 

‘That is a complex task, best achieved by working together with partners across the spectrum of vehicles, infrastructure and the digital world. 

‘With the technology and engineering power of Jaguar Land Rover, we can provide a unique opportunity for innovators to develop highly-functional urban mobility services, seamlessly integrated into everyday life.’

He added: ‘Future urban travel will be a composite of owned and shared vehicles, access to ride hailing and on-demand services as well as public transport. 

‘Our vision shows the vehicle as a flexible part of the urban mobility network that can be adapted for different purposes.’

Chief engineer Professor Dr Gero Kempf said the project presented ‘a blank canvas’ for creating new transport options in a ‘smart city’.

Jaguar Land Rover chief executive officer, Professor Sir Ralf Speth, said: ‘Jaguar Land Rover understands the trends shaping modern societies. 

‘Project Vector shows Jaguar Land Rover as a leader in innovation to make our societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner.

‘Through this project, we are collaborating with the brightest minds in academia, supply chain and digital services, to create connected, integrated mobility systems – the fundamental building blocks for Destination Zero. 

‘Project Vector is precisely the brave and innovative leap forward needed to deliver on our mission.’

Last year Jaguar Land Rover sold 557,706 vehicles in 127 countries. 

In the UK it has two major design and engineering sites – at Gaydon in Warwickshire and in Coventry; three vehicle factories in Castle Bromwich and Solihull, near Birmingham, and Halewood on Merseyside; an Engine Manufacturing Centre and soon to be opened Battery Assembly Centre in Wolverhampton.

These three facilities combined made JLR the biggest car maker in the UK in 2019, producing 385,197 vehicles in total. 

It also has vehicle plants in China, Brazil, India, Austria and Slovakia. 

Among its seven technology hubs three are in UK: Warwick University, Manchester, and London. The others are in Shannon, Ireland, Portland, USA, Budapest, Hungary and Changshu, China.