Tata Motor’s Jaguar Land Rover enters research trials in association with General Association of the Aluminum Industry

The British multinational automotive company Jaguar Land Rover is entering in research trials to test the competence of advanced lightweight metals and composites to be used in future vehicles.

The subsidiary of the Indian automotive company Tata Motor’s, JLR is headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, United Kingdom is taking part in a two-year project, which will use technology developed for the aerospace industry to understand how materials respond to corrosive environments, in global markets and over rigorous terrains.

Samples of new metals and composites planned for use in future Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will be built into aerospace-grade sensors and put through their paces in some of the world’s most extreme physical conditions, tested for over 400,000km across North America.

The sensors will continuously measure the performance of the materials and share data with the Jaguar Land Rover’s product development team in the UK.

Following this information, the engineers can accurately predict the material’s behaviour in the development of future vehicle programmes to ensure that next-generation lightweight metals meet the company’s stringent standards, delivering a longer-lasting, high-quality finish.

Matt Walters, lead engineer, metals and process materials for JLR, said: "This research project is a prime example of our commitment to developing lightweight, durable and robust materials for our future vehicles.”

"Using advanced aerospace-grade technology, such as these sensors, is testament to the quality and standards we are achieving.”

"We are working alongside world-class partners on this ground-breaking research project and will improve the correlation between real-world and accelerated testing as we continue to raise the bar for quality and durability."

The research forms part of General Association of the Aluminum Industry (Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie), a consortium of aluminium manufacturers and carmakers researching the longevity of materials and how they can be made lighter and more durable.