Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is working towards resuming limited production this week following a cyber-attack that shut down key systems on the last day of August. The Wolverhampton engine plant in the West Midlands is expected to be the first to restart, with some workers already returning on Monday.
Suppliers have been informed that JLR may also restart limited production at its factories in Nitra, Slovakia, and Solihull in the West Midlands by the end of this week. Nitra manufactures the Land Rover Defender, while Solihull, JLR's largest site, produces the Range Rover flagship model.
The initial vehicle production will focus on verifying that systems are functioning correctly after a complex IT rebuild. High-volume manufacturing is likely several weeks away, and plans could change due to the intricate recovery process. The Halewood plant in Merseyside may take slightly longer to resume operations.
The UK government has offered to guarantee £1.5bn in private sector loans to support JLR and its supply chain, but no deal has been formally signed. JLR is expected to expedite payments to suppliers this week to address cashflow issues, as many smaller companies in the supply chain have struggled to access emergency funds.
A JLR spokesperson stated: “As the controlled, phased restart of our operations continues, we are taking further steps towards our recovery and the return to manufacture of our world-class vehicles. We have informed colleagues, retailers and suppliers that some sections of our manufacturing operations will resume in the coming days. We continue to work around the clock alongside cybersecurity specialists, the UK government’s National Cyber Security Centre, and law enforcement to ensure our restart is done in a safe and secure manner.”
