JLR partners with Fortescue to advance EV battery intelligence

Starting with the new Range Rover Electric, launching later this year, Fortescue’s Elysia software will monitor all future JLR EVs, according to the partners.

JLR said the aim is to give its customers a better EV ownership experience, with faster charging, better battery longevity, improved reliability, and increased range.

Fortescue’s Elysia software uses physics-informed digital twins and probabilistic artificial intelligence to identify and solve battery issues, which they said will help JLR to optimise battery performance and safety for clients.

The partners said that monitoring battery health through its life will support sustainability by making it easier to transition batteries from electric vehicles to second-life applications.

This collaboration is part of JLR's Reimagine strategy to electrify all of its brands by 2030 and achieve carbon net zero across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039.

The company said that before the end of the decade, its Range Rover, Discovery and Defender collections will each have a purely electric model, while Jaguar will be entirely electric.

Fortescue has its own ambitious decarbonisation goals, including eliminating emissions from its operations by 2030 (Scope 1 & 2).

In a statement, Thomas Mueller, executive director, Product Engineering at JLR, said: “Fortescue's technology will provide JLR with even greater access to data analytics, integral as we electrify our entire vehicle portfolio by 2030. As the industry transitions towards electrification, collaborations such as these are paramount, as we look to further enhance the safety, performance and lifetime of our batteries.”

Mark Hutchinson, Fortescue CEO, added: “This collaboration showcases the very best of cutting-edge innovation and engineering. Through Fortescue’s breakthrough battery intelligence software, JLR will benefit from a new level of access to battery data and a revolutionary way to monitor its products in the real world, ensuring that every product lives up to the brand’s exceptionally high standards.

“The lessons and innovations we have both learned from motorsport are now being applied to the management of battery systems on our roads, unlocking a leading future of EV performance for JLR’s customers.”