Jaguar XE Uses Recycled Aluminum

The 2017 Jaguar XE is the first model that’s based on the new JLR modular vehicle architecture, which will serve as the underpinning for several future models. The vehicle, which is produced at the Jaguar Land Rover plant in Solihull, U.K., is, like the suite of new vehicles from that company, aluminum-intensive.

Much of the aluminum is high-strength, 6000-series alloy which alloys the gauge of the material to be thinner than it otherwise might be: 1.1 mm rather than 1.5 mm in the case of the one-piece body side stampings.

What is perhaps more interesting regarding this compact luxury sport sedan is that they’re also using another material from supplier Novelis, RC5754 aluminum alloy, which “predominantly” consists of recycled material.

The material was developed as part of Jaguar Land Rover’s REALCAR program—that’s Recycled Aluminum CAR—that was initiated in 2008. JLR has a goal of using 75% recycled materials in its vehicles by 2020.

Not all of this material is aluminum, however. The XE also contains 101 pounds of recycled plastics and other renewable materials.

And in another move that’s targeted at environmental efficiency, the XE assembly relies heavily on bonding and riveting, which requires less energy than spot welding.