JLR to invest GBP15 bn in 5 years, first EV launch in 2025, bookings from later this year, ET Auto

<p>The company’s 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 now be pure-electric.</p> — The company’s 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 now be pure-electric.

New Delhi: In an attempt to reposition itself as an electric-first, modern luxury carmaker by 2030, JLR on Wednesday said it will make an investment of GBP 15bn over five years in its industrial footprint, vehicle programmes, autonomous, AI and digital technologies and people skills. The company’s 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 now be pure-electric.This is part of the Tata Motors-owned JLR’s Reimagine Strategy and target to complete its financial goals of achieving a net cash positive position by FY25 and double-digit EBIT by 2026.

Next generation electric models

The luxury carmaker said it will start to open bookings for the electric Range Rover from later this year. The first of its next generation medium-size SUVs will be an all-electric model from the Range Rover family, launching in 2025 and built at Halewood in Merseyside.

As the trend to electrification in certain markets increases, the carmaker aims to 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. This will give JLR uncompromised flexibility to adapt its vehicle line up to meet the needs of different markets around the world that are moving at different speeds towards net zero carbon targets.

House of Brands approach

JLR will move to a House of Brands approach “to amplify the unique character of each of its brands – Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar – and accelerate the delivery of the company’s vision”.

Professor Gerry McGovern OBE, Chief Creative Officer, JLR, said, “Our ultimate ambition is to build truly emotionally engaging experiences for our clients that, overtime, will build long-term high equity for our brands and long-term sustainability for JLR.”

The first of the 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 up to 700 km (430 miles), and with indicative pricing from £100,000, new Jaguar will be built on its own unique architecture, named JEA. More details of the new 4-door GT Jaguar will be released later this year, before going on sale in selected markets in 2024, for deliveries in 2025.

“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,” Professor Gerry McGovern OBE said.

Investment in UK industrial footprint

The company’s Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton, UK, which currently produces Ingenium internal combustion engines for its vehicles, will have an electric future producing electric drive units and battery packs for its next gen vehicles. It will be renamed the Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre.

The automaker said its stamping facilities that prepare pressed body metalwork for its vehicles will be expanded to play a key role in the company’s electric future, by providing body work for next generation electric vehicles.

JLR said it continues to explore options for other parts of the Castle Bromwich site.