Although Land Rover’s close relationship with our planet is a perfectly natural one, from farmyards to rainforests and glaciers to sand dunes, the term “eco friendly” conjures up quite different images. While maintaining its position as the preeminent off-roader, how has utilitarian stalwart that has long been the choice of explorers and agriculturalists alike, adapted to the new mantle of eco friendly motoring?

At the 2006 Geneva Motorshow, Land Rover first unveiled their vision of eco friendly motoring. LAND_e brings together the most up to date all-terrain technologies, designed to improve both the environmental performance and breadth of capability. As ever, real-world practicality and performance to match the rigours of our planet are paramount.

Starting with the engine, the use of cleaner diesel fuels produced from renewable biomass sources help to strike this balance between performance ecology. Renewable fuels from biomass help to partially offset the CO₂ produced by the engine with that which is absorbed when new crops are grown.

The performance characteristics of Land Rover’s Terrain Response system deliver further CO₂ reductions while maintaining the kind of traction and off road management that’s not commonly associated with an eco friendly car.

So, not what you’d expect of a hybrid car but Terrain Response improvements include an Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD). When pulling away under light acceleration, the system uses electrical energy stored in a traction battery to drive away without starting the engine. The engine is restarted to support the requirement for additional power. 

When the driver takes their foot off the accelerator, or lightly applies the brake, the energy is captured using the electronic rear axle and is stored in the vehicle’s battery. Again, when more is needed, conventional friction brakes are seamlessly integrated. This allows for increased control, safety and fuel economy. As does the system which stops the engine whenever propulsion is not required, at a red light for example but the engine restarts whenever the driver demands acceleration, saving fuel and reducing CO₂emissions.

Author Bio:

This article was writing for Land Rover Our Planet  talking about Land Rover’s eco friendly cars.