Panasonic Jaguar Racing Waste To Wave Project

There are many things Panasonic Jaguar Racing is good at… like racing! And designing insanely cool cars! However, surfing and surf culture appears to be well outside of their expertise. Serving up feedback rather than pure criticism, we find ourselves wondering if this campaign could be enhanced with the presence of, lets say, a global-surf icon who could help create a short edit, possibly highlighting what a recycled board is capable of. But judos to Piquet Jr. and Mitch Evans for being good sports. However cheesy it may look, we appreciate Jaguar’s continued push to recycle materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill and eventually, the ocean. So, here’s to at least trying to have an open mind:

Panasonic Jaguar Racing stars Nelson Piquet Jr and Mitch Evans braved the Atlantic Ocean in their latest driver vs driver challenge – with a unique sustainable twist.

To win extra FanBoost votes ahead of the next race in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Punta Del Este, Uruguay, the two drivers traded in their all-electric Jaguar I-TYPE 2 race cars for unique surfboards made from recycled Jaguar model car materials.

 

During the design process for Jaguar Land Rover vehicles, including the new all-electric Jaguar I-PACE, polyurethane is used to form the ‘skeleton’ of life-size clay models. The plastic is usually destroyed following its use, however, as part of Jaguar Racing’s mission of ‘Race to Innovate’ both on and off the track, it was sustainably recycled to make two ‘Waste to Wave’ surfboards.

Plastic sent to landfill takes up to 500 years to decompose. The surfboard concept is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s wider ‘second life’ initiative and supports its longer-term zero-waste strategy. The Panasonic Jaguar Racing bespoke surfboards were hand-made by SkunkWorks Surf Co in Northern Ireland.

The Jaguar I-PACE was launched on 1 March and will be the exclusive car of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY – official support series to the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, with the inaugural race taking place later this year.

Mitch Evans said:

I’m proud to race for Panasonic Jaguar Racing in Formula E because of their sustainable approach to motorsport, but also for their commitment to electrifying all production vehicles from 2020. I’ve always wanted to surf and it’s been amazing to be a part of this innovative and environmentally conscious challenge.

Nelson Piquet Jr said:

I’m a big supporter of sustainable technology. Panasonic Jaguar Racing shares my goals of reducing waste and improving the environment. This challenge was a personal favourite and it’s great to know we’ve helped Jaguar Land Rover’s efforts to achieve zero waste.

Opinions aside, we applaud sustainability-driven projects such as this one. It’s difficult for an automobile manufacturer to adopt this mindset, as it costs loads of money and is an intangible benefit to measure, often requiring years of continued communication before any return is recorded. The way e see it, as long as it inspires others to also think about sustainability and adapt their purchasing habits, we can support it.

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