Land Rover revealed two diesel-hybrid LR2 prototypes at the British Motor Show on Tuesday, announcing the cars are undergoing real-world testing that includes plenty of off-roading. The diesel-electric engineering mules feature Land Rover’s Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) which can power the car independently of the diesel engine or vice versa. Either source is able of powering all four wheels.
The ERAD system is modular, meaning the company can put it in any of its vehicles. Customers are likely to first see the system on the production LRX in 2010, as the lightest vehicles will return the best fuel economy.
The ERAD system should decrease the company’s overall emissions by 20 percent, and was supported by the U.K. Government’s Energy Saving Trust.
ERAD and other fuel-saving measures were developed under what Land Rover calls e_Terrain Technologies, which also includes a start-stop system in manual diesel Freelander 2s next year in order to save gas and cut emissions when the vehicle is stationary.
