Jaguar Land Rover will manufacture a range of new electric vehicles (EVs) at its production plant in Castle Bromwich, UK.
The move represents the next stage in the company’s electrification strategy. In January, JLR confirmed plans to bring battery and electric drive unit (EDU) assembly to the Midlands with investment in new and existing facilities. These investments have been anticipated in the company’s capital investment plans.
“The future of mobility is electric and, as a visionary British company, we are committed to making our next generation of zero-emission vehicles in the UK,” said Ralph Speth, chief executive of Jaguar Land Rover. “We are co-locating our electric vehicle manufacture, electronic drive units and battery assembly to create a powerhouse of electrification in the Midlands.”
Upgrade work will begin later this month at the Castle Bromwich plant. All-new facilities and technologies will be installed to support the flexible production of clean efficient diesel and petrol vehicles alongside fully electric and hybrid models.
The first all-electric model to be mass produced at the plant will be Jaguar’s flagship luxury saloon – the XJ. The XJ will be created by the same designers and product development specialists responsible for the Jaguar I-PACE – which won 2019 World Car of the Year.
Speth added: “Convenience and affordability are the two key enablers to drive the uptake of electric vehicles to the levels that we all need. Charging should be as easy as refuelling a conventional vehicle.
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By GlobalData“Affordability will only be achieved if we make batteries here in the UK, close to vehicle production, to avoid the cost and safety risk of importing from abroad. The UK has the raw materials, scientific research in our universities and an existing supplier base to put the UK at the leading edge of mobility and job creation.”
As part of the announcement, JLR has called on the UK government and industry to bring giga-scale battery production to the country. Doing so, the company stated, will support and grow the existing supply chain, making the UK less dependent on essential materials sourced from abroad.