JLR has announced that its Halewood plant in the UK will become an all-electric production facility, and its next-generation medium-size SUV architecture, electrified modular architecture (EMA), will be pure-electric.
The automaker also revealed that its Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton, UK, currently producing Ingenium internal combustion engines for its vehicles, will have an electric future producing electric drive units and battery packs for its next-generation vehicles. It will be renamed the Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre to reflect the move.
Alongside, the company confirmed that its stamping facilities that prepare pressed body metalwork will be expanded to play a key role in the electric future by providing bodywork for next-generation electric vehicles. The OEM continues to explore options for other parts of the Castle Bromwich site.
A press release from JLR noted that the EMA will be electric only as the trend to electrification in certain markets increases, while the company will also retain the flexible modular longitudinal architecture (MLA) on which Range Rover and Range Rover Sport are built, offering internal combustion engine (ICE), Hybrid and battery electric vehicle (BEV) options.
The first of its next-generation medium-size modern luxury SUVs will be an all-electric model from the Range Rover family. Built at its Halewood facility in Merseyside, the vehicle will be launched in 2025.
In an update to global media at JLR’s centre in Gaydon, Adrian Mardell, Chief Executive Officer, JLR, reaffirmed the business’s commitment to its Reimagine strategy, which will reposition the company as an electric-first, modern luxury carmaker by 2030, as the company makes strides towards its financial goals of achieving a net cash positive position by FY25 and double-digit EBIT by 2026.
Mardell noted that two years ago, the company launched its Reimagine strategy, and since then, it has made great progress, including launching two new critically acclaimed modern luxury Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, joining the Defender family, for which there is record demand.
“We achieved this while navigating the headwinds of the pandemic and chip shortages, and successfully ramping up production of our most profitable models to deliver profit in Q3,” he added.
As a next step within the strategy, it was revealed that the carmaker will move to a House of Brands approach to amplify the unique character of each of its brands - Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar.
The first of three reimagined modern luxury Jaguars will be a 4-door GT built in Solihull in the West Midlands, UK. With power output more than any previous Jaguar, a range of up to 700 kms (430 miles), and indicative pricing from £100,000 (app $124,285), the new Jaguar will be built on its unique JEA architecture.
“We have radically reimagined Jaguar as a modern luxury brand. The key to Jaguar’s transformation is that the designs convey that they are a copy of nothing,” said Professor Gerry McGovern OBE, Chief Creative Officer, JLR.
“I am proud to announce we are accelerating our electrification path, making one of our UK plants and our next-generation medium-size luxury SUV architecture fully electric,” the CEO noted.
He added that the investment enables the company to deliver its modern luxury electric future, develop new skills, and reaffirm its commitment to net zero carbon by 2039.
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