HyPACE: Hybrid Petrol Advanced Combustion Engine

Jaguar Land Rover is leading a consortium to squeeze 10% more fuel economy out of the petrol engine without sacrificing performance. The problem is straightforward: despite the shift to electric vehicles, millions of new cars with petrol engines will still be sold for years. Improving their efficiency directly cuts CO₂ emissions and fuel costs for drivers. The HyPACE project brings together seven UK partners—from JLR and BorgWarner to the University of Oxford—to tackle this through advanced combustion, boosting systems, and emissions control. They are not inventing a new engine type; they are refining the existing one to make it cleaner and more economical. If successful, the technology could appear in JLR’s next-generation hybrid vehicles. That means lower running costs for owners and reduced tailpipe emissions without requiring a full switch to electric powertrains. The project also strengthens the UK’s automotive supply chain and skills base, supporting the £1 billion engine plant JLR already operates in Wolverhampton. This is applied engineering with a clear commercial target: better petrol engines for the hybrid era.