Land Rover Is Developing A Hydrogen Defender Concept

Jaguar Land Rover is working on a hydrogen fuel-cell version of the Land Rover Defender.

Dubbed Project Zeus, the British automaker will begin testing the vehicle this year and has received some funding by the UK government’s Advanced Propulsion Center to make it happen. JLR has also teamed up with partners and suppliers including Delta Motorsport, AVL, Marelli Automotive Systems, and the UK Battery Industrialization Center.

Jaguar Land Rover specifically refers to the vehicle as a concept and hasn’t made any suggestion that it intends on making a hydrogen Defender a reality. However, it does believe that by 2030, there could be 10 million hydrogen vehicles on the roads and over 10,000 refueling stations.

Testing of the hydrogen Defender will take place in the UK and verify the vehicle’s off-road capabilities and its fuel consumption.

“We know hydrogen has a role to play in the future powertrain mix across the whole transport industry, and alongside battery electric vehicles, it offers another zero tailpipe emission solution for the specific capabilities and requirements of Jaguar Land Rover’s world-class line-up of vehicles,” head of hydrogen and fuel cells for Jaguar Land Rover, Ralph Clague said in a statement. “The work done alongside our partners in Project Zeus will help us on our journey to become a net zero carbon business by 2039, as we prepare for the next generation of zero tailpipe emissions vehicles.”

Not only does Jaguar Land Rover intend on becoming a net carbon business by 2039 but by 2036, it wants to achieve zero tailpipe emissions.