Innovate UK plays role in development of new aluminum alloy for Jaguar XE

Innovate UK, the new name for the Technology Strategy Board, Swindon, England, has played a key role in enabling Jaguar Land Rover to develop a new aluminum alloy, which means that up to 50 percent of the body of the new Jaguar XE is made from recycled aluminum. This new lightweight aluminum alloy, made from processed scrap, reduces the weight of the car so it produces less CO2 emissions.

A collaborative R&D competition launched by Innovate UK in 2007 led to the support of the $3.2 million REALCAR (Recycled Aluminum Car) project. Six other partner organizations were involved — Novelis, Zyomax, Norton, Stadco, Brunel University, and Innoval Technology — with Innovate UK contributing about 69 percent of the funding.

A second project, REALCAR 2, is working on increasing the percentage of recycled aluminum, exploring the potential to reach aluminum sheet recycling rates of up to 75 percent.

The new Jaguar XE is the first car in the world to use RC 5754, an aluminum alloy developed specifically for the next generation of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. Future models also will use the alloy.