Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has revealed a further £500m investment in its Halewood plant on Merseyside to bolster future production of all-electric cars at the site.
The country’s largest automotive manufacturer, which revealed plans in 2023 to produce the first emission-free model at Halewood in early 2025, is now targeting a timeframe later that year.
It signalled a greater ambition for Halewood at a time when global demand for new cars remains constrained.
The plant, which currently makes hybrid, diesel and petrol-powered Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport models, has already been expanded to allow for electric vehicle (EV) production to run alongside.
A decision is yet to be taken on what electric model will be manufactured at Halewood first.
It is, however, expected to be a mid-sized vehicle under the Range Rover brand.
JLR said it was creating the “factory of the future” at the site, which has been in use for car production since the 1960s.
The transformation at Halewood, which has involved a £250m investment to date, includes new production floor space for the electric model and a retraining programme for all staff.
The production lines will also utilise 750 autonomous robots and laser alignment technology, JLR said, overseen by cloud-based digital plant management systems.
The additional cash will include the creation of a new body shop, capable of producing 500 vehicle bodies per day, and an extended paint line to handle different body shapes.
The company, owned by India’s Tata Motors, is investing a total of £18bn in its ReImagine programme that aims to have all its vehicles electric-only by 2030.
Barbara Bergmeier, executive director of JLR’s industrial operations, said: ”Halewood has been the heart and soul of JLR in the northwest of England for well over two decades, producing vehicles such as the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport.
“Halewood will be our first all-electric production facility, and it is a testament to the brilliant efforts by our teams and suppliers who have worked together to equip the plant with the technology needed to deliver our world class luxury electric vehicles.”
The industry’s transition – demanded by global climate targets – has not been a smooth one.
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Consumer concerns over cost, ranges and availability of public charging points have combined to leave sales of new electric cars at levels that have disappointed the industry.
That’s despite stronger competition as new models and technological improvements continue to come on stream.
Major headaches for producers have been the continued squeeze on household budgets globally and the economic slowdown in China, the industry’s biggest growth market.
At the same time, the US and European Union have moved to slap additional tariffs on Chinese-made EVs on the grounds the models are too competitively priced due to state subsidies.
Data revealed by the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on Thursday showed a continued fall in production last month as factories grapple the uncertain demand and switch to new models.
Just 41,271 new cars left production lines, 3,781 fewer than last August.
The SMMT said that battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid production for the month fell by 25% but that the trend was expected to be reversed as new models come onstream.
The SMMT has consistently appealed for incentives from government to help bolster the EV market.