A bold new concept vehicle has been unveiled by Jaguar Land Rover showing its future plans for driverless cars.
The Project Vector vehicle was unveiled in Coventry at the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) at the University of Warwick.
It measures just four metres in length and is designed for the city, packaging all its battery and drivetrain components into a flat floor.
A pilot programme of testing on the streets of Coventry is planned for 2021.
One of the first people to get a glimpse was his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who was visiting the NAIC as part of a tour of the Midlands.
Project Vector represents a key stepping stone in Jaguar Land Rover's Destination Zero journey and offers a vision of an autonomous, electric, connected future for urban mobility.
Destination Zero is Jaguar Land Rover’s mission to make societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner.
The mission statement is a focus on achieving a future with ‘zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion’.
That will be delivered through the company’s products, services and across its facilities.
The Project Vector concept showcases an advanced, flexible, multi-use electric vehicle that is ‘autonomy-ready’.
Jaguar Rover CEO Prof 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.”
The Project Vector vehicle concept is four metres long and designed for the city, packaging all its battery and drivetrain components into a flat floor, to allow a variety of uses.
The interior cabin space allows seating configurations for private, or shared use and the opportunity for commercial applications, such as last mile deliveries.
Project Vector has been developed at the NAIC in order to be able to collaborate with academic and external partners.
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.
The plan is to collaborate with Coventry City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority to plan a mobility service from late 2021, as a living laboratory for future mobility on the streets of Coventry.
Project director Dr Tim Leverton said: “The megatrends of urbanisation and digitalisation make connected urban mobility systems necessary and inevitable.
“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.”
Below, footage of the reveal of Jaguar Land Rover's first electric vehicle - the Jaguar I-Pace
Mr Leverton added: “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.
“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.”
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Chief engineer Professor Dr Gero Kempf said: “It’s also a unique opportunity – a concept platform designed and engineered around urban centric use cases by a major car maker as a blank canvas, for developing tailored services and apps in the ecosystem of a smart city.”
