The Freelander 2 TD4_E Stop/Start: Land Rover's Most Fuel Efficient Vehicle Ever Debuts At Paris Motor Show
GAYDON – October 6, 2008: The new Freelander 2 TD4_e is Land Rover's most fuel-efficient vehicle to date. Featuring a new intelligent Stop/Start system, it is the first production vehicle to incorporate technologies from the company's programme of sustainable engineering initiatives, collectively named 'e_TERRAIN TECHNOLOGIES'.
On the standard EU4 cycle, the CO2 emissions of the Freelander 2 TD4_e are reduced by 8 per cent*, compared with the outgoing manual diesel Freelander 2. Moreover, in additional tests, Land Rover engineers have measured fuel savings approaching 20 per cent in heavy urban traffic.
The 8 per cent improvement equates to a CO2 emissions reduction of 15 g/km compared with the standard Freelander 2 TD4 manual (from 194 g/km to 179 g/km*). In terms of fuel efficiency, consumption is improved from 37.7 mpg to 41.3 mpg*.
These gains, coupled with the added benefits of the gearshift indicator light, software developments and efficiencies from low-rolling-resistance tyres, make the Freelander 2 TD4_e the most fuel-efficient production Land Rover ever built.
Phil Popham, Land Rover's managing director, said: "The Stop/Start Freelander 2 is the first production vehicle to benefit from the massive £700 million investment in sustainable technologies by Jaguar and Land Rover. From mid-2009, the Stop/Start feature will be included as standard on all Freelander 2 TD4 manual models, with no associated increase in list prices."
Land Rover's new Stop/Start system improves fuel efficiency in urban and stop-start driving. The vehicle automatically shuts down the engine in appropriate conditions, resulting in zero tailpipe emissions and saving fuel that would otherwise be used idling the engine when stationary. When the driver is ready to move off, the engine instantly re-starts.
Sophisticated controls ensure that the Stop/Start system does not compromise the needs of either the driver or the vehicle. For the engine to shut down, the vehicle must be stationary, the gearbox in neutral and the clutch pedal raised. To re-start, the driver simply depresses the clutch and the enhanced starter motor engages the engine, ready for when first gear is selected.
The Stop/Start system is automatically activated each time the ignition is turned on, although there is a switch on the fascia to disable the system, if the driver so desires.
Added fuel economy benefits
Along with the intelligent
Stop/Start system, the Freelander 2 TD4_e includes a series of additional
enhancements that help to deliver fuel economy and CO2 benefits.
A new gearshift indicator light in the instrument pack advises the driver when to change gear if a higher gear will allow the vehicle to operate more fuel-efficiently. This is calculated by the Freelander 2 TD4_e's fully mapped engine.
Software developments to the driveline systems on the Freelander 2 TD4_e generate CO2 benefits without reducing Land Rover's renowned capability.
Land Rover engineers are also collaborating with tyre suppliers to drive improvements to fuel economy through reduced rolling losses. Tyre characteristics including rolling resistance are optimised for the entire range of available tyre sizes on Freelander 2 models.
End of Life Vehicle Certification
The Freelander 2 is the first
Land Rover to achieve compliance with the 'EU Directive 2005/64/EC on the
type approval of motor vehicles with regard to their reusability,
recyclability and recoverability' ahead of forthcoming legislation. This
refers to the fact that 85 per cent of the vehicle is reusable or
recyclable, while a further 10 per cent by mass is recyclable or
recoverable.
THE LAND ROVER STOP/START SYSTEM IN MORE DETAIL
Behind the Stop/Start system lies an intensive engineering programme, which encompasses a surprisingly large number of the vehicle's systems and components.
Refined Stop/Start operation
Land Rover engineers have
invested considerable effort in safeguarding levels of engine refinement.
To reduce the engine shake associated with some diesel engines when
stopping, the Freelander 2 TD4_e features controlled throttle closing and
ramps down fuel in a smooth fashion, while the alternator is also turned
off during the shut-down procedure, reducing load on the engine. A software
feature change and revised engine calibration further aid smooth shut-off,
while engine shake on start-up is reduced by the Freelander 2's optimised
engine-mounting strategy and inherent tuning.
Uncompromised durability
The increased frequency of
stop-start cycles over the lifetime of the Freelander 2 TD4_e will lead to
increased use of the vehicle's affected components, so enhanced durability
of these components was a priority for the Freelander 2's engineering team.
They developed a new heavy-duty starter motor, a new ring gear, a new dual
mass flywheel friction control plate and an absorption glass mat battery.
These new features ensure that the Freelander 2 TD4_e delivers
characteristic Land Rover all-terrain performance and that the system's
operation is always rapid and reliable.
Intelligent technologies
Land Rover engineers focus on the
introduction of intelligent, appropriate technologies, and the Freelander 2
TD4_e is no exception. In congested traffic, when the Stop/Start technology
will shut down the engine frequently, other features and technologies will
not be compromised, so in-car entertainment, climate control, Bluetooth,
driver information and other electronic systems will continue to
function.
Technologies such as the new voltage quality module, the battery monitoring system, the brake vacuum sensor and the enhanced climate control system have been developed to ensure that such services continue uninterrupted in a stop situation.
LAND ROVER e_TERRAIN TECHNOLOGIES
The Freelander 2 TD4_e is just one element of Land Rover's comprehensive green technology roadmap, which will drive the company to increasingly lower emissions and more sustainable technologies in the coming years. This is a key part of the £700 million investment in sustainable technologies being made by Jaguar and Land Rover.
Land Rover engineers are working on a series of advanced propulsion technologies and lightweight structures aimed at bringing CO2 emissions down to class-leading levels. This doesn't mean sacrificing core Land Rover values: the renowned all-terrain capabilities of its future vehicles could actually be improved by some of the exciting new powertrain technologies, such as the Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) announced at the British International Motor Show in London earlier this year.
The company's ambitious programme for continuing CO2 reduction stretches well into the future. For example, Land Rover is developing future hybrid and other green technologies in conjunction with the UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB).