Consortium to develop range extender gas turbine for EVs

A group of three companies recently received a £15 million prize from the UK government’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB) for proposing a gas-powered, range extender turbine for use in electric vehicles.

The winning group is comprised of Jaguar Land Rover; the UK engine maker Bladon Jets, which developed the worlds first axial-flow micro jet engine; and the US-based SR Drives, which is owned by Emerson Electric – the world’s biggest producer of electric motors.

The recent competition aims to support mass adoption of low carbon cars. Paul Barrett, Executive Chairman of Bladon Jets, commented that winning the award is significant for the future development of green cars in the UK.

The consortium plans to use the prize money to develop an Ultra Lightweight Range Extender (ULRE), a compact and environmentally friendly gas-powered turbine generator for hybrid electric automobiles. The project will utilize Bladon Jets’ gas turbine engine and SR Drives’ proprietary switched reluctance technology, while Jaguar Land Rover will oversee ULRE’s packaging for car integration.

This project is not new to Jaguar Land Rover, which from early 40s to mid 60s had manufactured a gas turbine engine which was based from Frank Whittle’s design and was utilized in Rover-BRM cars. This year’s project however uses a modern turbine developed to extend a car’s range rather than as a power source.

Since 2007, the TSB has invested £74 million in over 50 low carbon projects. John Laughlin, a programme manager of the board, informed that TSB is funding innovative projects in several key areas, which include energy storage and management, internal combustion engine technologies, lightweight structures, and new propulsion technologies.