Sunday, May 12, 2013
Land Rover Range
While the Land Rover Range_e development vehicle being displayed at the 2011 Geneva auto show isnt quite ready for prime time, the vehicle is serving a vital role as a test bed for a potential future Land Rover plug-in hybrid powertrain. The test vehicle -- based off a Range Rover Sport -- is fitted with Land Rover latest 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 and an electric motor, which is hooked up with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Precise specifications are still under wraps, but the company does say the Range_e has an EV-only range of 20 miles.
When combined with the diesel engine, the vehicle can travel an impressive 691 miles before replenishing both the fuel tank and battery pack. The Range_e heading to Geneva is one of several working prototypes used by the company for PHEV development. Land Rover hasn officially confirmed a version for production, but we wouldnt be surprised if a similar system eventually works its way into future Land Rover and Range Rover models.
