Jaguar Land Rover reveals Project Vector for smart cities
Jaguar Land Rover has just showcased a concept vehicle called Project Vector that is set to tackle urban mobility solutions. The Vector is based on an electric platform for obvious reasons as more and more European cities shift towards green mobility solutions like electric-powered vehicles. JLR look to take on this challenge head-on with the Vector keep in mind urban spaces the vehicle is roughly four meters long and would be as big as a modern-day Mini Cooper.
The architecture for the Vector is structured in such a way that all the battery and drive-train components are packaged into the floor, that allows the cabin to get a flat floor . The Vehicle can be configured for both shared mobility solutions as well as for private use. Vector gets centre opening sliding doors on the side with four individual seats all facing the same direction, As of now a driver’s seat along with a steering wheel and pedals has been retained presumably for testing purposes. Down the line, JLR will look to eliminate the streets and pedal unit as the Vector is set to be an ‘autonomous ready’ vehicle with self-driving capabilities. This entire project was developed at the National Automotive Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick in the UK with assistance from JLR and other industry experts.
Dr Tim Leverton, Project Director overseeing the development of the Vector 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. 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.”
JLR is looking to deploy the Vector in a pilot project the in 2021 at Coventry in the United Kingdom to gather data and explore different use case scenarios for urban mobility. If everything goes to plan they will also look to run these vehicles in smart cities that are coming up all across the globe.
