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THE JAGUAR #01

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In this issue we return to top level motorsport but not in a conventional way, and by doing so accelerate the development of electric powertrains. In tandem, we introduce our Jaguar I-PACE Concept vehicle - a revolutionary new model available to reserve now for delivery in 2018.

FORMULA E biodiesel

FORMULA E biodiesel by-product loosely based on sea algae. The unit, cables and control box follow the series around the world in three shipping containers, produces more than enough energy to keep all 20 racing cars charged. Successful e-power in mainstream cars means dispelling key problems like range anxiety, and making it as bulletproof an energy source as possible. While the sport strives to build its credibility amongst a motorsport audience used to noisy internal combustion, the value of Formula E to Jaguar is self-evident. This isn’t just about motor racing as an entertainment, this is part of a company-wide ‘Race To Innovate’ ethos. Data acquisition is another crucial area: during a Formula E event, each battery logs around 1GB of data each day, and can also record 500 channels of data up to 1000 times per second. Here’s more pub ammo: each battery cell has 25 times more energy and can provide 400 times more power than those in the average mobile phone, the batteries themselves have enough juice to charge a smartphone for 4745 consecutive days, and pack the same amount of energy as 10,000 conventional AA alkaline batteries. “A lot of what we know about internal combustion is in the past – you’re building on the work of your forefathers,” McNamara says. “With batteries, we’re in the Wild West right now, we’re asking big questions about how best to cool them, about exactly what’s going in those cells… it’s a very challenging area, and there are fewer fixed solutions.” Richard Devenport, a research manager for Jaguar in Formula E, is convinced that the electrification tipping point is imminent, and picks up on McNamara’s themes. “Motorsport drives innovation and always has. We don’t have years and years of experience with electric motors. With combustion, there’s been 120 years of development – you iterate, move on. I’m looping what’s going on here back into Jaguar as it’s happening. I don’t wait until the end of the year and write a report. If it’s worth doing, I’m on the phone the next morning.” “This technology is now moving very fast. Think of it in terms of the way mobile phones changed in the early Gerd Mäuser (top left), Panasonic Jaguar Racing Chairman, with racer Mitch Evans and James Barclay (above), Team Director, keep an eye on the team’s debut Noughties, the upgrades that were going on. That’s the state of play in electric vehicles at the moment. There’ll be a point when battery range will optimise. Then range anxiety will disappear, and the focus will switch to the drive aspects, and to reducing weight. The next few years are going to be absolutely fascinating.” But ultimately it’s a racing series, and that boils down to 20 gladiators trying to outwit each other against a shifting backdrop of variables. “The drivers are very busy in the cars,” team boss James Barclay says. “They have to be as quick as possible, while meeting their energy targets – that’s the real trick in this championship. There’s more ‘regen’ this year, and trying to be quick while regenerating can be difficult, because there’s more drag on the rear axle. It’s similar to having too much brake bias on the rear. There are effectively three modes: you can lift and coast, you can harvest energy under braking, or you can pull a paddle to trigger regen. The driver has to develop the best technique, while racing, overtaking or defending on a bumpy street circuit.” Innovative. Electrifying. Competitive. Formula E is all three. PHOTOGRAPHY: SPACESUIT, LAT 40 THE JAGUAR

DRIVING THE FORMULA E: TWO YEARS AGO, WRITER JASON BARLOW HAD A VERY EXCLUSIVE DRIVE OF ONE OF THE VERY FIRST FORMULA E PROTOTYPES. HOLD ON! Well this is odd. Like any modern racing car, the race harness, helmet, HANS device and protective cockpit sides initially leave you feeling highly claustrophobic. Physical movement is severely restricted. But in Formula E, the oddness comes in another unpredictable form: electricity. The car’s battery pack is encased in a clever carbon sandwich, and there’s a triple layer safety system. A green light ahead of me will go red if it all fails, and if it does I have to climb out across the nosecone and jump down. Do anything else and, well, you remember your physics lessons, right? It quickly gels. The wheel has a flickering LED display, monitoring the car’s systems, speed and lap delta. Beneath it sit a series of rotary knobs, the most important of which remaps the ECU to serve up full qualifying power equivalent to 270bhp, or the race mode’s 180bhp. Wise to start with that, I reckon. This prototype weighs about 950kg with me onboard, so it’ll be fast enough to keep my attention, especially around the swoops and crests of Donington. Top speed is limited to 150mph, but 60mph takes less than three seconds. Instant torque from standstill served up by e-power is its most addictive quality. At least it’s dry – the famous Craner Curves in the wet have tripped up far better drivers than me. But the Formula E car is reassuringly easy to drive. No need to worry about getting temperature into the tyres. No need to panic about getting into a big aero zone either, given the relative lack of downforce (the FIA didn’t want teams chasing costly incremental aero gains, so there isn’t that much downforce). Just push the accelerator and hold on. The chassis is terrific, and it’s clear that on a dry track you’d have to be really going some to overwhelm those Michelins. The development team’s efforts on driveability are apparent — it just goes, at least until the batteries are depleted. Do you miss the sensation of pistons in cylinders, or that explosive fuel/air cocktail? Less than you’d think. E-power is a seamless rush, a different sort of energy, yes, but still propulsive. The rush of air around the open cockpit and tyre noise fill in the gaps in the car’s sonic armoury. The cars will also become more powerful as battery efficiency improves. Season-long tyre durability was an early mission statement (the tyres are different for season three), and there’s a huge amount of grip. That doesn’t stop the cars sliding around dusty and bumpy street tracks though, as we’ve seen in the first two seasons. “They can be quite lively on those street circuits,” Jaguar driver Adam Carroll says. “The cars are very mechanical. The aero doesn’t overwhelm the mechanical grip, which is why the cars can follow each other so closely.” Not just a race for innovation, then, but a full-blooded racing spectacle too. THE JAGUAR 41

 

JAGUAR MAGAZINE

 

Jaguar Magazine celebrates creativity in all its forms, with exclusive features that inspire sensory excitement, from beautiful design to cutting-edge technology.

In this issue, we explore the art of creativity from the Brazilian masters who devised the graceful art of Capoeira, to the Irish artists mixing new culture with old. You will also discover the creative line that links Victorian wallpaper to the iPhone. While the multi-talented actor and performer, Riz Ahmed, explains why it is the right time to reveal his true self to the world.

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The fuel consumption figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer's tests in accordance with EU legislation.
A vehicle's actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only.