THE LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT

MEASURING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT

At Jaguar, we have a commitment to sustainable engineering. We are dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of our cars at every stage – from manufacture and on-road performance through to the end of their lives.

This commitment has brought a new way of studying what we do: the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

Previously, the environmental impact of any vehicle was largely judged on fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions. However, there are far more factors to consider and the LCA tells the whole story.

When it comes to manufacturing, we examine the materials used, our factory processes and our delivery network.

When a vehicle is on the road, we analyse its fuel use and emissions, as well as the environmental cost of producing the fuel itself.

Finally, once a Jaguar reaches the end of its life, the LCA studies the environmental impact of dismantling and monitors how much of the car is recycled or sent to landfill.

The Results:

Many environmental effects happen over a long period and they are often not directly visible. The effects that are studied include climate change (from greenhouse gas emissions), pollution (of air, water and soil) and protection of key resources (energy and materials), the most significant of which is called Global Warming Potential and is measured over 100 years (GWP).

The current XJ* achieved an overall reduction in GWP of 8.3%. With a slightly higher impact at the raw material stage but a greater saving during the use phase the overall impact was significantly lower across the whole life cycle of the vehicle. In the new model the more fuel efficient engine, with 25g/ CO2 lower emissions per km than the outgoing model, can help to save approximately 1800 litres of fuel during the use phase over 200,000 km. This equates to approximately 21 tanks of fuel. The new model also contains sustainably sourced wood veneers, a lightweight honeycomb structured boot floor, and recycled materials in the boot lid and rear seats.

*The LCA study was carried out on a Jaguar XJ, short wheel base model, premium luxury trim with a Diesel V6 engine, and was compared to the outgoing XJ 2.7 V6 diesel

Learn more about the Lifecycle Assessment for the Jaguar XJ in our interactive experience.