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Use less, Use longer, Use again

Jaguar TCS Racing breakthrough initiates more circular process using re-refined EV transmission fluid in future Jaguar Land Rover models

Overview 

Castrol has been the Official EV Fluids Partner to the Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E team since 2019 and together have worked to deploy and demonstrate advanced EV Fluids and lubricants that drive performance improvements on the racetrack through powertrain efficiencies. 

 

As part of Jaguar TCS Racing’s ‘Race to Innovate’ mission, the teams jointly set out to test and demonstrate more sustainable solutions, including showing the capabilities of circularity, as well as innovations in new technologies for the benefit of future electric vehicles (EVs). 

 

Challenging themselves, Jaguar TCS Racing and Castrol sought more circular solutions capable of performing in a highly demanding race environment, during the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. 

 

These discoveries and learnings in circularity principles can be used to help develop increasingly sustainable fluids for future JLR road vehicles without any compromise on performance. 

Case study 

In the 2023 season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, Jaguar TCS Racing became trailblazers. The Jaguar TCS Racing team became the first motorsport team in Formula E to use the Castrol ON EV Transmission Fluid in the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 in a more circular way. 

 

The teams extracted used Castrol ON EV Transmission Fluid from the race car following test and development activities. This used oil was then re-refined to recover its main constituent base oil and blended with performance additives to create a new batch of Castrol ON EV Transmission Fluid. 

 

This was deployed on the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 in place of the virgin oil version, and its performance was tested at the Berlin E-Prix and later in its maiden race application at the Monaco E-Prix in 2023. This race saw Jaguar TCS Racing driver Mitch Evans take his third podium of the season, and former teammate Sam Bird climb six places. 

 

The more circular Castrol ON EV Transmission Fluids performed as well as the version made using virgin base oil, demonstrating that, with Castrol’s formulations and technical support, re-refined base oils can substitute virgin base oils without compromise on performance. 

 

As a result, JLR now intends to deploy Castrol’s re-refined Castrol ON EV Transmission Fluid into its next generation vehicles, as the company works towards achieving circularity. 

 

Under its Reimagine strategy, JLR is transforming to an all-electric business and aims to achieve net carbon zero across its supply chain, products, services and operations by 2039. 

 

Jaguar TCS Racing strive to be pioneers in innovation, driving discoveries from race to road, and supporting sustainability which sits at the heart of JLR’s re-imagine strategy. Limiting the use of virgin base materials through the adoption of circular economy principles, based on a “use less, use longer, use again" philosophy, will be key in achieving the goal to become net zero by 2039. Castrol’s PATH360 strategy embraces circular economy thinking and looks at the life cycle of Castrol’s existing and new products, to see how they can be improved, extended, reused, or recycled. 

“I am always incredibly excited to see examples of our Jaguar TCS Racing team contributing to sustainable innovation and a true commitment to bringing it from race to road.” 

 

“Innovation and collaboration are critical to delivering the deep transformation required to achieve our science-based targets for 2030 and our goal to be carbon net zero by 2039. This is a great demonstration of how that can be done and of how we can apply circularity principles to enable decarbonisation without compromising performance.” 

 

François Dossa, Executive Director of Strategy and Sustainability at JLR 

"Our team’s philosophy is that we race to innovate. Competing in the pinnacle of all-electric racing provides us with a high-performance platform to test, discover and develop sustainable technologies. Working with Castrol, we were immensely proud to be the first motorsport team in Formula E to deploy this circular process and set the standard for circularity within the paddock. This project in particular went on to be recognised by Formula E and our team was even given the title of Climate Champions because of it.

 

"Our proof of performance in using re-refined oil in the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 is now being taken to the next level as JLR intends to use Castrol’s re-refined Castrol ON EV Transmission Fluid in future road cars.

 

"This is a valuable demonstration of our work in Formula E bringing our discoveries from the race to the road. "

 

James Barclay, Managing Director of JLR Motorsport, and Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal 

“Our partnership with the Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E Team puts our range of EV Fluids to the test on the track. The performance of our more circular Castrol ON EV transmission fluid in an extreme race environment gives us and customers confidence of the high-quality and high-performance of these fluids in these demanding conditions. It helps us embrace circularity principles – which is part of our PATH360 sustainability strategy – looking at the life cycle of our products, to see how they can be improved, extended, reused or recycled.” 

 

Nicola Buck, CMO Castrol