JLR unveils 'futuristic driverless' car concept

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has unveiled a new futuristic electric driverless car concept ‘Project Vector’.

It is an advanced, flexible, multi-use electric vehicle that is "autonomy-ready", which was developed at the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC).

"Project Vector shows Jaguar Land Rover as a leader in innovation to make our societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner," said JLR CEO Ralf Speth.

"Through this project, we are collaborating with the brightest minds in academia, supply chain and digital services to create connected, integrated mobility systems - the fundamental building blocks for Destination Zero," he said.

The company's Destination Zero mission refers to a focus on achieving a future of zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion through its products, services and across its facilities.

The Project Vector concept vehicle has been developed as part of a spin-off project developed at its innovation centre at the University of Warwick in central England.

In the coming months, the development of the model will move to the next stage for it to be ready to pilot on the streets by late next year.

The intention is to collaborate with the local area through Coventry City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority to plan a mobility service from late 2021, as a living laboratory for future mobility on the streets of the city of Coventry - about 100 miles (160 km) from London.

Vector is one of the first major projects to be developed within the new NAIC, a £150 million innovation centre created along with the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to house hundreds of academics, researchers, engineers and designers from across the UK and India to work on cars and vehicles of the future.