Jaguar Land Rover accelerates electrification plans
Castle Bromwich, UK: With a commitment to offer customers electrified options for all new Jaguar and Land Rover models from 2020, Jaguar Land Rover has revealed plans to manufacture a range of new electrified vehicles at its plant in Castle Bromwich, UK.
The future of mobility is electric and as a visionary British company JLR is committed to making the next generation of zero-emission vehicles in the UK. For this purpose, it is co-locating its electric vehicle manufacture, Electronic Drive Units and battery assembly to create a powerhouse of electrification in the Midlands.
The first new electric car to be produced at the plant will be Jaguar’s flagship luxury saloon, the XJ. Production of the current XJ has come to an end. The new all-electric model will be created by the same expert team of designers and product development specialists responsible for delivering the world’s first premium electric SUV, and 2019 World Car of the Year, the Jaguar I-PACE.
The new Battery Assembly Centre at Hams Hall, operational in 2020, will be the most innovative and technologically advanced in the UK with an installed capacity of 150,000 units. Together with the Wolverhampton Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC), home of Jaguar Land Rover’s global EDU production, these facilities will power the next generation of Jaguar and Land Rover models.
The extensive transformation of Castle Bromwich to become the UK’s first premium electrified vehicle plant will be the most significant in the plant’s history.
The expansion of Jaguar Land Rover’s electrified vehicle line up will see customers offered a greater choice of vehicles to suit their lifestyles. But convenience and affordability remain the two key enablers to drive the uptake of electric vehicles to the levels that are required. Charging should be as easy as re-fuelling a conventional vehicle.
As Jaguar Land Rover makes its commitment to electric car manufacturing in the UK, it has also called on government and industry to work together to bring giga-scale battery production to the country. This builds on the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and the government’s Faraday Challenge, essential for next generation battery technology to create smaller, denser, cheaper batteries. These critical steps will also support and grow the existing supply chain, making the UK less dependent on essential materials sourced abroad today. Together, these initiatives are likely to attract future giga-scale factories to the UK.