When the Jaguar C-X75 concept made its debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, it had two, 70 kW, petrol-powered mini turbines strapped to it’s back, behind the passenger seats. These turbines would turn generators that provide power to four electric motors, one on each wheel, once the battery was depleted.
Close to 18 months later, Jaguar announced a change of tack for their EV supercar, when they swapped the turbines in favour of a turbo- and supercharged 1.6-litre petrol engine. The 4-cylinder petrol engine would be supplemented with power from two electric motors, one on each axle. The motors will be powered by a liquid-cooled 200 kg battery pack and provide an electric-only range of 60 km, while still being able to launch the car from 0 – 100 km/h in 6 seconds. Together with the petrol engine, the C-X75 will have a top speed of 320 km/h and will be able to launch from standstill to 100 km/h in under 3 seconds.
Now, a further 5 months down the road and after plenty of bench testing, Jaguar are ready to install their hybrid drivetrain into the rolling chassis of a prototype. The future of the project lies in the success of this development phase, as an unreliable drivetrain is not an option.
Jaguar’s global brand director, Adrian Hallmark, recently told Autocar, “This part of the development is absolutely unknown,… We want to do it, but until we know the technology [will work] we cannot be clear.”
Should the results be positive, Jaguar are one step closer to keeping their promise to build 250 units of the C-X75, which will compete against the likes of Porsche’s 918 Spyder and upcoming Ferrari F70 hybrid supercars. The Jaguar C-X75 is likely to have a sticker price of between £700 000 and £900 000.
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