Land Rover has received certification from the VCA (Vehicle Certification Agency) for a comprehensive 'cradle‑to‑grave' study which analyses the environmental impact of its new Range Rover Evoque.
This is the first time that Land Rover has received VCA approval following a detailed life cycle study. The life cycle assessment (LCA) of the Range Rover Evoque was fully audited and approved by the VCA, making Land Rover one of only a few vehicle manufacturers to have completed an officially recognised study of the environmental impact of a vehicle ‑ from manufacturing, through a lifetime of customer use, to ultimate disposal and recycling.
The report highlights many of the processes that make the Range Rover Evoque the brand's lightest and most efficient vehicle to date. These include the use of recycled materials, lightweight components and stop start technology. The cradle‑to‑grave study also highlights sustainability measures that have been built into the manufacturing process such as such as the installation in the Paint Shop of the latest generation of fully flexible paint application equipment for Evoque's contrast roof option, thus reducing paint consumption and solvent emissions. In addition, the ventilation systems in body construction have been rationalised, giving a 25% reduction in electricity consumption.
Paul Markwick, VCA CEO, said: "I'm very pleased to have presented this certificate to the team at Land Rover. Operating in a sustainable way and producing products that reflect this ethos is clearly a very important part of business. Initiatives such as Life Cycle Assessment provide a framework that allows industry to assess the environmental impacts of a product from concept through to the end of vehicle life.
"VCA has been supporting the automotive industry with its certification needs globally for approaching 40 years and there is no doubt that this extensive knowledge of the sector means that our audit teams understand the complexities of the vehicle design and construction process and the legislation supporting this."
The study will enable Land Rover to identify more opportunities to improve the sustainability of their vehicles in the future, and highlights JLR's progress in reducing the carbon footprint of its products.
"We are fully focused on maintaining our commitment to sustainable engineering and will learn lessons for application in future models. Life cycle assessment is a core part of our engineering practice and we have launched a new interactive website dedicated to life cycle assessment, so customers can better understand all of the sustainability attributes that Land Rover offers," said Bob Joyce, Group Engineering Director for Jaguar Land Rover.
JLR is committed to a sustainable business future and is working toward ambitious long term business targets for products and processes with an overall target of 25 per cent reductions in operational CO2, and waste to landfill by 2012, a 10 per cent reduction in water consumption by 2012, and 25 per cent reduction in tailpipe emissions by 2015, compared to 2007 levels.
For further details on the study, please visit www.landrover.co.uk/ourplanet
ENDS
Editors Note:
‑ The life cycle assessment was based on the TD4 150ps Diesel 6‑Speed Manual 4WD Pure Model of the Range Rover Evoque.
‑ To give an accurate assessment of the environmental impact, the life cycle study was based on the creation, use and disposal of a specific 5 door Range Rover Evoque Model over a specified lifetime (200,000km), including the materials used, material processing, assembly and transport during manufacturing.
‑ The Range Rover Evoque was engineered using lightweight components wherever possible. The tailgate, for example, is 10kg lighter than the steel equivalent and is made up of a reduced number of components and therefore requires less energy to produce and improves the quality of build.
‑ A number of components in every Range Rover Evoque come from recycled sources. Different types of recycled materials are used in interior and exterior mouldings, engine bay components and interior fabrics. In fact, 16kg of premium recycled polymeric materials are engineered into every vehicle ‑ the equivalent of reusing a thousand 500ml plastic bottles.
‑ For example, The Morzine trim material used on headliner and upper pillars is made from 100% recycled polymer obtained from plastic bottles and fibres.This recycled polymer requires 66% less energy in its production and therefore has a carbon footprint reduced by 55% compared with its virgin equivalent.