SOLIHULL’S Jaguar Land Rover plant is set to lead the way as the company shifts to all-electric vehicles.
The company, which has its headquarters in Whitley, has announced it will abandon all petrol and diesel engines for its Jaguar brand by 2025, as JLR aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2039.
The Lode Lane plant will be used to build Land Rovers on the Modular Longitudinal Architecture platform and Jaguar models on a new platform.
JLR has vowed to keep its other UK plants and factories open as it shifts to electric models.
The company on Monday pledged to “retain its plant and assembly facilities in the home UK market and around the world” but will “repurpose and reorganise” its existing sites.
Clean-hydrogen fuel-cell power is being developed in preparation for future demand, the car giant says.
There will also be a streamlined structure to deliver greater agility and promote an efficiency of focus as it begins its reimagine strategy.
Thierry Bolloré, JLR’s chief executive, said: “JLR is unique in the global automotive industry. Designers of peerless models, an unrivalled understanding of the future luxury needs of its customers, emotionally rich brand equity, a spirit of Britishness and unrivalled access to leading global players in technology and sustainability within the wider Tata Group.
“We are harnessing those ingredients today to reimagine the business, the two brands and the customer experience of tomorrow.
“The Reimagine strategy allows us to enhance and celebrate that uniqueness like never before.
“Together, we can design an even more sustainable and positive impact on the world around us.”
JLR said Gaydon will become the symbol of the reimagine effort – the ‘reactor’ of the business – with the Executive Team and other management functions moving into the one location to aid frictionless cooperation and agile decision-making.
Unite, the union broadly welcomed the announcement of the Reimagine strategy.
Unite national officer for the automotive industries Des Quinn said: “Unite understands the need for a re-evaluation of the direction of travel for the Jaguar Land Rover brands and the challenges facing the business given the events of recent years.
“These pressures included the slump in global automotive sales; the fallout of ‘Dieselgate’ and tighter regulation around emissions which have been compounded by lack of confidence due to the Brexit process and the effects of the worldwide pandemic.
“For those reasons, we welcome the Reimagine programme and the vision for the company in the future.
“However, this is not unconditional support. Assurances of no plant closures and no compulsory job losses have been sought and given, and it is on this basis only that we will work with the company to meet the challenges of the future.”
