Cleantech
Jaguar Land Rover, Google Partner to Track Air Quality in Dublin

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has partnered with Google to integrate its Jaguar I-PACE with air-quality-measuring sensors and Street View mapping technology — part of a collaboration with the Dublin City Council for its Smart Dublin program.

Part of Google’s global Project Air View, launched in 2018, the partnership makes the I-PACE the first all-electric Google Street View vehicle. For the next 12 months, they will be used to measure and record street-by-street air quality in Dublin — including nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and fine particles (PM2.5). It will also help update Google Maps.

The Jaguar I-PACE, which offers zero-tailpipe-emissions driving, has been equipped with specialized mobile air sensors developed by Aclima — with which Google’s research partners will analyze the data and develop maps of street-level air pollution.

The partnership comes as Jaguar Land Rover defines its future strategy: a sustainable reimagination of modern luxury, unique customer experiences, and positive societal impact — and a commitment to become a net-zero-carbon business by 2039. To realize this vision, JLR will collaborate with industry leaders to enhance sustainability and reduce emissions as well as sharing best practices in next-generation technology, data and software development.

“The integration of Google Street View technology with the all-electric Jaguar I-PACE is the perfect solution for measuring air quality,” said Elena Allen, Project Manager for Business Development at Jaguar Land Rover. “We are delighted to support this project as it aligns with our own journey to becoming an electric-first business and achieving net-zero carbon by 2039. Partnerships like this are one of the ways we can achieve our sustainability goals and make a positive impact on society.”

In October 2019, Google published new hyperlocal, street-level air-quality insights on its Environmental Insights Explorer (EIE) starting in Copenhagen and London. This is part of a new section called EIE Labs, which will pilot climate-focused datasets as a critical indicator for prioritizing and tracking climate action. With data from Google Street View vehicles that measure air quality at street level, Google is creating Copenhagen’s new air quality map in partnership with the City of Copenhagen and Utrecht University. The preliminary map shows the block-by-block concentration of black carbon and ultrafine particle pollution, which Copenhagen is already using to work with architects and designers to rethink the city for the future.

EIE has since partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) on similar projects in the cities of Amsterdam, Houston and Salt Lake City; and with EDF and Aclima in the City of Oakland and other California cities.

Now, Google is bringing the technology to Dublin as part of the Smart Dublinprogram, to produce hyperlocal air-quality data insights that will help the Irish capital gain additional knowledge and support their actions to improve the City’s climate and health. This is the next phase of Dublin's partnership with Google’s EIE, to inform smart transit programs with the goal of reducing emissions and increasing the use of cleaner modes of travel.

Google and Dublin City Council hope access to this data will help scientists, researchers and policymakers as they study air quality — as well as encourage people to make small but informed daily changes to help improve it. 

Paddy Flynn, VP of Geo Operations at Google, said: “Air quality is a serious concern, especially for cities; but there is a gap in terms of localized data and insights available to both decision makers and citizens. As part of this project, we’re using technology to capture this important data and make it accessible so that together with Dublin City Council, we can drive solution planning.”