Starts production of the new Range Rover Evoque

The new Range Rover Evoque passed an important milestone today when the first production vehicle was driven off the line at Land Rover�s Halewood manufacturing plant in Liverpool.

Jaguar Land Rover's CEO, Ralf Speth together with JLR executive officers, union representatives and employees, gathered to celebrate the start of new Range Rover Evoque production. The first car to come off the line will be donated to the British Motor Industry Heritage trust.

Gallery: Range Rover Evoque

"The Evoque is an incredibly exciting vehicle that joins a product range which across both of our brands is the strongest we have ever had � and it fits in perfectly." commented Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer." The teams that have designed engineered and built the new Evoque, working together with our research and supplier partners, can be immensely proud of their achievement. Worldwide interest in our new car has been exceptional, with 18,000 customer orders received from customers eager to be among the first to own the new Range Rover.

Halewood Operations is central to the success of the Evoque, with the workforce doubling to more than 3,000 employees in order to deliver the new model. Seventy-five per cent of production is destined for export to more than 170 countries around the world, adding around �2 billion to the UK economy. Moreover, 50 per cent of the components in new Evoque are made in Britain, with contracts worth another �2 billion awarded to more than 40 UK supplier businesses.


�It is a groundbreaking product, a Range Rover with concept car looks, lightweight technologies and the capability to deliver 50mpg fuel economy. At the same time it�s still a true Range Rover that�s agile, nimble, designed to survive in the urban jungle and capable of tackling the toughest climates and terrains thanks to Land Rover�s legendary all-wheel drive expertise.� Speth added

The launch of the Range Rover Evoque is just one of 40 new product actions that Jaguar Land Rover will carry out in the next five years in the most ambitious market offensive in the history of its two brands. This product creation programme is supported by annual investment of �1.5 billion in developing new models, engines, technologies and vehicle lines.

| Land-Rover

Peque�o debut del Land Rover Defender el�ctrico

Axeon has worked closely with Jaguar Land Rover South Africa to produce an all-electric version of its iconic Defender model for use in game parks, minimising both environmental and noise pollution. The battery system produced by Axeon, Europe�s leading independent developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery systems, has been fitted to a Land Rover Defender 110 High Capacity Pick Up in place of the standard 2.4-litre diesel engine.

Unlike many electric vehicle battery packs that are positioned in the floor of the vehicle, the Axeon pack has been designed to fit into the vehicle�s engine bay in order to maintain ground clearance and wading height for this unique vehicle. The bespoke battery system also incorporates Axeon�s proprietary Battery Management System (BMS), which monitors the battery state, measuring and controlling key operational parameters, thus ensuring safety � particularly important for an electric vehicle that may encounter harsh conditions.



The replacement of the engine means that the production vehicle�s tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions of 295g/km have been reduced to zero and the electric Defender is also able to operate very quietly. In testing the range was shown to be capable of 3 times a typical game drive on a single charge.

The short development timescale of the battery was achieved by deploying Axeon�s accumulated experience in the design and manufacture of lithium-ion battery systems, and by working actively with engineers from both Land Rover and their South African partner Barker Performance Products.

The electric Defender has been received well by experienced Land Rover drivers, including those from the official Land Rover Experience, and it has performed exceptionally well on the rigorous and gruelling Gerotek test facility. In testing, the vehicle has also been able to get closer to animals within the game park due to its much quieter operation.

Whilst the electric Defender has been designed specifically for the game park sector, there are numerous other potential applications for such a vehicle, where reducing environmental and/or noise emissions are a priority.

The electric Defender will be launched as a concept vehicle at INDABA, one of Africa�s largest tourism events, held in Durban, South Africa, from 7th to 10th May 2011.

Battery system specification:
Total Pack Energy: 28.8 kWh
Approximate dimensions (mm): 1080 (L) x 780 (W) x 590 (H)
Approximate weight: 400kg
Nominal Voltage: 288V
Maximum Voltage: 324V
Minimum Voltage: 225V
Maximum Pulse Power: 144 kW

| Axeon