Shammika Wickramasinghe is Jaguar-Land Rover's Technical Specialist for Exterior Lighting. He joined the company in 2011and was instrumental in delivering the Jaguar F-Type lamps, including the very popular tail signature project. Wickramasinghe has been in the automotive industry since 1998 and was Section Manager of the Electrical team at Honda UK, where his oversight included delivery of the 2006 Civic exterior lighting package. Thanks to his expertise in lighting and understanding of electrical systems and the involvement of his management, Jaguar Land Rover now present new models with highest technologies in exterior lighting. He was kind enough to grant us this exclusive interview included in the report published today.
DVN: You have a long experience in vehicle lighting: six years with JLR and additional years with Honda. What's your take on today's strong innovation activity?
SW.: I have a passion for innovation and my work; I like to lead, and my view is that if you stand still, you lose as the others will overtake you. My background is in electrical and electronics engineering, but automobiles and optics were my hobby. I like to challenge boundaries within the limitations of physics, and I see each challenge as an opportunity. If there is a challenge then there is an opportunity for success and I have used this mindset throughout my career to push boundaries, to innovate and develop new things.
DVN: Are there different lighting strategies for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands?
S.W.: The technology offering is similar. We have a mission to ensure our lighting offering is the best suited for the customer use and to ensure optimal safety wherever their journey may take them. Our vision is to ensure all our customers are able to have a tireless night driving experience in all weather conditions allowing them all weather comfort in touring. For Jaguar, exterior lighting is about the stunning designs and attention to detail, all weather driving comfort, effortless touring. Jaguar produce fast cars—hence our lighting must be capable of giving the driver the confidance by being able to see far, so they can drive fast and safely in the night as we bring the day into the night by creating homogeneous light output that is not distracting to our drivers.
For Land Rover, It is also about stunning designs, superbly-styled lamps, and attention to detail, driving comfort, effortless touring, all-weather safety, and vision giving the ability for the Land Rover customer to go above and beyond with the lights. The Land Rover customer needs to have lights that can help when off roading / wading and driving where no other vehicle can go and must have the ability to see at night just like it is during the day. Homogeneity is also very important to our customers so that they don't feel tired during extended drives and touring.
