This solution was revealed at the GENIVI All Member Conference in Barcelona, Spain held end of April 2013.

Xchanging said the proof of concept has been created on openly available hardware with an Intel CPU, using the Tizen open source Linux distribution as a software platform with latest HTML5 graphical user interface. Tizen was chosen as a GENIVI compliant reference.

A key component of the solution will be CarSync, Arynga’s Software over the Air (SOTA) product along with Xchanging’s Vehicle Management Systems cloud based applications and interfaces.

“Xchanging is delighted to be able to showcase this solution with our partner Arynga’s CarSync technology in collaboration with Jaguar Land Rover. We are excited to be one of the first global service providers to offer a comprehensive end to end Vehicle Management Solution based on Arynga’s CarSync SOTA solution for today’s automotive market.” said David Carpini, President of Xchanging Solutions (USA).

Jaguar Land Rover has not commented on how and when this technology will be used on their vehicles.

Matt Jones, Senior Technical Specialist for Infotainment at Jaguar Land Rover commented, “This proof of concept was created in less than 12 weeks and was built on an Open Source framework, along with the Arynga CarSync technology and Xchanging’s VMS services. This shows the real power of open platform development going forward. We look forward to showcasing the output of the collaboration.”

The post Jaguar Land Rover Experiments With Software Over The Air appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Land Rover will be unveiling seven Defenders converted to run on electric power at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

The seven research vehicles deliver zero emissions while retaining their tough, range-traversing capability.

“Investing in innovation has always been the lifeblood of our business and our engineering teams are working hard to develop innovative new technology to provide sustainable motoring solutions,” said John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand director.

The standard diesel engine and gearbox in the 110 Defenders have been replaced by a 70 kilowatt (94 horsepower) electric motor combined to a 300 volt lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 27 kilowatt-hour. Land Rover said the combination is good for a range of more than 50 miles.

In typical, low speed off-road use it can last for up to eight hours before recharging. The battery can be fully charged by a 7 kilowatt fast charger in four hours, or a portable 3 kilowatt charger in 10 hours.

These electric vehicles (EVs) retain the Defender’s legendary four-wheel drive system and differential lock. Because the electric motor delivers maximum torque from the moment it starts, there’s no need for gear shifting and the transmission is comprised of a single speed, 2.7:1 reduction gearbox combined to the existing Defender four-wheel drive system.

A modified version of Land Rover’s Terrain Response System has also been incorporated.

These vehicles were developed by Land Rover’s Advanced Engineering Team following successful trials of the Defender-based Leopard 1 electric vehicle.

Land Rover said the vehicles’ capability has been tested in extreme and environmentally sensitive conditions, demonstrating capabilities not shared by conventional road-going EVs. Trials included pulling a 12-tonne ‘road train’ up a 13 percent gradient and wading to a depth of 800mm (32 inches).

The battery weighs 410 kilograms (904 pounds) and is mounted in the front of the Defender in place of the diesel engine. The conversion adds 100 kilograms (220 pounds) to the Defender 110.

All the major components in the electric powertrain – including the battery, inverter and motor – are air-cooled rather than liquid cooled. Land Rover said it did so to save weight and complexity while adding robustness.

Regenerative braking has been optimized to such an extent that using Hill Descent Control, the motor can generate 30 kilowatt of electricity. According to Land Rover, because the battery technology can be charged very quickly at a rate of up to twice its capacity of 54 kilowatt without reducing battery life, almost all of the regenerated energy can be recovered and stored. In theory, up to 80 percent of the kinetic energy in the vehicle can be recovered this way.

“This project is acting as a rolling laboratory for Land Rover to assess electric vehicles, even in the most arduous all-terrain conditions. It gives us a chance to evolve and test some of the technologies that may one day be introduced into future Land Rover models,” said Antony Harper, Jaguar Land Rover Head of Research.

Although there are no plans for the all-terrain electric Defender to enter production, the seven EVs will go into service in real world trials later this year.

The post Seven Defender EV Prototypes To Be Unveiled In Geneva appeared first on HybridCars.com.

Land Rover will soon ship its Evoque CUV with a new nine-speed automatic transmission designed by driveline specialist ZF.

The British company said increasing the number of gear ratios to nine will help reduce emissions and improve efficiency

Land Rover will demonstrate this world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission for a passenger car at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

Known as the ZF 9HP, this transmission is designed for transverse applications, and is said by Land Rover to be one of the most efficient and technically advanced transmissions ever used in a production vehicle.

Increasing the number of gear ratios from six to nine will help reduce emissions and improve efficiency. Smaller ratio steps also give improved response during acceleration, with improved shift quality and refinement. A higher top gear improves efficiency by lowering engine speed, which also improves comfort and reduces noise when cruising at highway speeds.

The lowest ratio in the 9HP is lower than the existing six-speed transmission and is designed for off-road use, towing, and on-road conditions like steep gradients.

Whereas the existing six-speed transmission makes downshifts sequentially, the 9HP has a skip-shift function for much swifter downshifting to meet rapid deceleration demands. If the driver requests a downshift when the vehicle is traveling too fast for the selected gear, the transmission will remember the request and make the shift when the speed drops to an appropriate level. “Fast-Off” mode measures the rate of throttle release, anticipates further requests by the driver for high power, then holds the gear if necessary.

The torque converter incorporates a multi-stage damper system for smoother pull away and improved refinement. An innovative adaptive shifting system matches the driver’s mood within seconds, sharpening up during brisk driving and then seamlessly shifting to a more economical program when taking a more relaxed driving approach. Additionally, “Curve Mode,” detected acceleration/deceleration forces, and pedal position all control upshift timing.

Despite the extra three gear ratios, the 9HP is only 0.24 inches (6mm) longer and actually weighs 16.5 pounds (7.5kg) less than the outgoing Evoque six-speed transmission. The compact packaging is achieved by using a number of innovative design features: a new compact hydraulic vane-type pump; two patented dog clutches replacing bulkier conventional clutch packs; and a nested gear set.

ZF said this transmission can return savings of up to 16 percent in fuel consumption when compared to a six speed transmission; Land Rover has not yet revealed the official fuel consumption ratings of the Evoque with this new nine speed transmission.

The new nine-speed transmission will be produced at ZF’s Gray Court facility in South Carolina, USA.

The following is a promotional video produced by ZF that illustrates some of the internals of the 9HP transmission:

We can expect this transmission to show up as part of the driveline of other vehicles in the near future. ZF said the 9HP is compatible with hybrid technology and with start-stop features.

The post Nine Speed Automatic Transmission Coming To Evoque appeared first on HybridCars.com.