Jaguar has revealed four sketches, in partnership with architect firm Barr Gazetas, that predict how the future of urban and rural landscapes could look thanks to the growing popularity of electric vehicles.
The car maker’s interest in the changing landscape stems from its investment in electric vehicles. Last year, it launched its well-received I-Pace electric SUV, and an electric XJ saloon is expected in 2020.
“Electric vehicles such as the I-PACE are proving hugely successful, with sales exceeding expectations,” a Jaguar spokesman told Autocar. “This was the reason for embarking on such a study with a group of architects.”
Jaguar design director Ian Callum, who collaborated on the designs with Barr Gazetas, said the growth in EVs gave a “unique chance for wholesale change of the facilities available for drivers as we reinvent usage and ‘filling’ patterns for our vehicles”.
The four sketches, entitled Today, Tomorrow, Electric City and Electric Future, propose a revival of defunct urban spaces, more connectivity between infrastructure, and reduced pollution and noise levels.
The first, Today, is a reimagination of Forton Services on the M6. Jaguar said that the eradication of conventional fuelling methods has allowed for a more open, cleaner and quieter environment. Longer fuel stops necessitated by slower charging methods have been exploited as an opportunity to establish restaurants, farm shops, gyms and other facilities within the service area.
Jaguar claims that such environmental improvements could allow for an increased connection to communities in the surrounding areas, as service stations become more of a destination in and of themselves.
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Beyond Science-Fiction
The fact that this is anything other than a sixth form project is staggering. And even then, you’d expect 16 – 18 year olds to have more of an idea as to what is actually plausible in the world we live. A car company and an architect firm have put this out there, of their own free will, showing how the future could look. So, let us look at the detail. Hot air balloons floating over the M6. Pretty young urbanites having a cocktail party outside a multi-story car park. As Artill says, people swimming outside in Liverpool, all the while yards away a businessman in a suit reads a paper and a little boy and his mum appear to be watering a small tree set in brick. When was the last time you saw someone paragliding over Stanley Dock? And picture four shows us that in the future we have completely solved all climate and environmental issues with the childish readout on the side of a building stating air quality is at 100%. You might say that I’m being pedantic, but this has been offered up by adults, I assume, to show us what the world could look like if imagined by someone that has obviously not actually lived on planet earth.
Maybe JLR would be better served if they showed us images of consistent panel gaps on their cars, an infotainment system that functions in correspondence to the user’s commands or a Jaguar dealer filled with the same people in this series of images and not the passive-aggressive Neanderthals that I have had the misfortune dealing with.
Get Carter wrote:
This made me smile!
The only (!) thing wrong with
The only (!) thing wrong with this is that there probably won't be a JLR in the future! As I have been pointing out, Moody's analysis of JLR makes for grim reading because they need to make massive investment in new models. Will Tata trump up the cash when the management have been woeful in seeing the demise of diesel, and pushing JLR continually up-market? Their profits are considerably down, and the company isn't looking rosey for 10 to 15 year's time. JLR's best option may be to get bought by a global player who has sense on their management team, and can apply their own platforms to future JLR cars. Tata was still in profit in July, but it was 30% down. Now JLR has dragged it into LOSS!!! It can't afford to have JLR eating up money in new investment.
JLR
really need to stop wasting time and energy on this tripe and start making "CARS" not suvs that the public actually want to buy.