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Land Rover will put a Covid-nuking air filtration system in future cars

Jaguar - Land Rover (JLR) is developing an air filtration system that inhibits up to 97% of viruses and airborne bacteria. Designed like a face mask for your car's HVAC system, it's built on Panasonic's Nanoe X technology. Most of the company's models (including the Land Rover Defender) currently come equipped with Panasonic's Nanoe technology and PM2.5 filtration. Nanoe X is 10 times more effective, according to the brand, because it relies on a high voltage to create trillions of hydroxyl (OH) radicals enveloped in nano-sized water molecules. Think of them as Roman guards in front of a fortress: they keep the bad out, and ensure only the good can come in. Viruses and bacteria proteins are denatured when they come into contact with the filtration system, meaning they can't reproduce or grow. The OH radicals also zap common allergens and mold, but they're harmless to humans. JLR stressed it's not relying on computer simulations to decide whether its filtration system works as designed. It asked British laboratory Perfectus Biomed to perform a test that simulates a ventilation system in recirculation mode for a 30-minute cycle in a sealed chamber. The results were encouraging: 97% of viruses and airborne bacteria were nuked. The carmaker pointed out Panasonic's Nanoe X technology has been independently proven to inhibit 99.995% of coronaviruses during a two-hour laboratory test carried out by French immunology lab Texcell. Future models from Jaguar and Land Rover will use this technology, though a representative for both companies declined to tell us when it will reach production, and which nameplate(s) will inaugurate it. Meanwhile, Honda launched its own coronavirus killer across the pond. It's a cabin air filter sold as a genuine replacement part that consists of four layers, including one coated with an active substance of fruit extract that inactivates nearly 100% of the viral aerosols it captures. It's available in Europe through Honda dealers, but it won't be sold in America. Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover backs Arc startup that sells $100,000 electric motorcycles

Before it even put its first motorcycle on the road, new startup Arc reeled in a major player to back its ambitious product plan. In conjunction with the reveal of the fully electric Vector superbike at the Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori ( EICMA) show in Milan, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced it is placing capital in Arc, using JLR's investment company InMotion Ventures. Arc claims the Vector is the first all-electric motorcycle with integrated Human Machine Interface (HMI) to come to market. Arc, not to be confused with Keanu Reeve's Arch motorcycle company, has a pretty typical mission statement: "To use progressive design and technology to transform people's relationship with an automative experience. For us, for you, for our planet." At the core, Arc wants to make connected, clean, exclusive superbikes, and the Vector is its first try. Although Arc didn't get into the nitty gritty details about the make-up of the bike, it did give some surface specs and information. The bike's structure is built using a carbon composite to create a "unique Arc battery monocoque." Weight is also kept low using carbon fiber swing arms. There is no mention of the size or type of electric powertrain, but Arc claims it will have a highway range of about 120 miles or a city range of 170 miles on a single charge. Arc says it will be able to sprint from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.7 seconds and has a top speed of 124 mph. Stopping power comes from a Brembo brake system, while ride and handling relies on Ohlins dampers. The launch does not stop at the motorcycle, but includes gear, as well. The Vector links up with a jacket and a helmet for a fully connected experience. Partnering with U.K.-based impact protection design company Knox, Arc created the Arc Pilot System. Using audio, the armored Origin riding jacket provides haptic feedback based on numerous riding inputs to help keep the driver safe and aware. Furthermore, Arc linked up with luxury helmet maker Hedon to build the WiFi-connected Zenith helmet that houses an integrated projection heads-up display. In addition to showing things such as speed or battery life of the bike, the helmet uses a built-in rear camera to display other vehicles in the rider's blind spots. The rider can command the system using controls on the bike or via voice commands.

Jaguar crossover won't be based on Evoque or have off-road chops

Jaguar's long-rumored crossover won't be built on the same platform as the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, says the Australian site Car Advice. The future of the new CUV remains uncertain, but if Jaguar does dip its toes into the SUV/crossover pool, though, the new vehicle will likely be a car-based soft roader, lacking (or perhaps more appropriately, not needing) the off-road-engineered chops inherent in Land Rover's small CUV platform.
Jaguar product planner Steven De Ploey explained to Car Advice, "There's many groups around the world [platform sharing] - obviously Volkswagen Group is doing it all the time - but I think we have to be careful. He added, "Jaguar is something quite different... It's about capability, but very much on-road focused capability." That seems to gel with our suspicions that the XQ, as it's expected to be called, will share its platform with an upcoming small Jaguar sedan, the oft-rumored X-Type successor.
Still, we'd recommend taking any mention of a Jaguar crossover with a grain of salt. Based on many of the (quite compelling) statements made by De Ploey against a Jag crossover and previous statements made by Jag's design boss, Ian Callum, the case against a leaper-bearing crossover seems strong. If a high-rider were to arrive from Jaguar, though, the article insinuates that it'd be more in line with the BMW X6 or upcoming X4 - sort of a coupe-based crossover. Like we said, grain of salt. If a Jag crossover is going to arrive soon, the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show is the most likely locale for its debut. We'll find out in a few weeks.