Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced a £15bn investment over five years to upgrade its UK factories for electric vehicle (EV) production, marking a significant boost for the British car industry. The company, which employs 36,000 people, will shift production at its Halewood plant on Merseyside to electric cars, while its Wolverhampton engine factory will focus on electric motors and components.
The first UK-made electric car will be a £100,000 Jaguar four-door 'grand tourer' built in Solihull, with deliveries starting in 2025. JLR also plans to open orders for the first electric version of its flagship Range Rover, and will not build hybrid versions of its medium-sized Range Rover models, focusing instead on full battery electric vehicles.
JLR's chief executive, Adrian Mardell, said the company was accelerating its electrification path. The investment will cover industrial footprint, vehicle programmes, autonomous and AI technologies, and people skills. Analysts have been awaiting details on how JLR will meet its commitment to make Jaguar an all-electric brand by 2025 and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2039.
The announcement comes as JLR awaits a decision from its parent company, Tata, on where to build a battery cell factory. Tata has lobbied for up to £500m in UK government support for a gigafactory, with a decision expected imminently. The UK car industry has welcomed the investment, with experts noting that JLR is finally speeding up electrification across its brands.
