Behind the glitz and glamour of the 2018 Paris Motor Show, Land Rover presented a one-off Discovery that it created for the Red Cross. The model is called the Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle, and it was developed as part of an 18-month collaboration between Land Rover’s Special Vehicles Operations (SVO) and the Austrian Red Cross. The Discovery is unlike standard Discovery models. Among other things, it features state-of-the-art communications technology that's there to help save lives.

2018 Land Rover Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2018 Land Rover Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

What Makes the Land Rover Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle Special?

The Land Rover Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle is inspired by the Project Hero Concept that Land Rover introduced at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. You can say that the Red Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle is the culmination of an 18-month collaboration between Land Rover SVO and the Austrian Red Cross, one that started with the development of the concept model.

Its objective is clear, which is why the SUV was transformed into a mobile command center that can not only travel to remote locations but, more importantly, act as a mobile command center to help people in distress.

The white Discovery has all the usual red and yellow graphics that you normally associate with emergency response vehicles. The Red Cross’ unmistakable logo is also present in the SUV, visible in the hood and two front doors for everyone to see. The aesthetics were added to establish the SUV’s purpose. But more important than how it looks is how it functions. That’s where items like the emergency lights, roof rack, and black wheels with specially designed tires come into the equation. If the Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle is going to travel to hard-to-reach locations, these components help it get to where it needs to go.

In those times when communication is important, the specially designed Discovery SUV is also equipped to tackle that challenge. An advanced eight-rotor drone is arguably its most important communications equipment. The drone is fitted with a long-range thermal imaging camera that’s capable of spotting a person from a height of 440 meters, or 1,443 feet, and identify a vehicle from a distance of 1,000 meters, or almost 3,300 feet. The drone is also capable of tracking objects through precise coordination. You don’t know how important that is until you find yourself in a rescue effort.

As important as its comms gear are, the Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle’s capability to serve as a mobile nerve center for disaster emergencies is its most important feature. A 3.0-liter diesel engine that produces 254 horsepower sits under the hood of the Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle.

As impressive as the Land Rover Red Cross Discovery Emergency Response Vehicle is, it’s not a surprising development considering the parties involved in creating it. Land Rover and the Red Cross have been partners for a while, something JLR SVO managing director Michael van der Sande pointed out. “Since we started collaborating in 1954, our aim has been to help the Red Cross improve its disaster response and ultimately to help save lives,” van der Sande said. “Over the past 18 months, our engineers have worked closely with the emergency response team at the Austrian Red Cross, deploying Land Rover’s technology and talent to create a unique solution to the requirements of the Red Cross in the region.”

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2017 Land Rover Discovery.

Read our full review on the 2017 Land Rover Discovery Sport.