Jaguar Landrover (JLR), has announced a £15bn investment in autonomous, AI and digital technology.
The money will also be used to turn its Halewood plant in Merseyside into an all-electric manufacturing facility.
The car firm confirmed that its next generation of medium-size Range Rover SUVs would now be purely electric and built in the region.
Knowsley Council called it a “major coup for the local workforce:
“We’re delighted at today’s news as it places JLR’s Knowsley plant at the very heart of the company’s future plans. It is fantastic, not only for the thousands of local people currently employed by JLR in Halewood, but it also means countless opportunities for the workforce of the future, too,” said a spokesperson.
“We’re very proud to have JLR here in Knowsley and today’s announcement is further confirmation of just how committed they are to Halewood and to the local workforce, who will now be spearheading the company’s move into all-electric production.”
There are currently more than 3,700 people employed at the Knowsley plant.
“Two years ago, we launched our Reimagine strategy and since then we have made great progress, including launching two new critically acclaimed modern luxury Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, joining the Defender family, for which there is record demand. We achieved this while navigating the headwinds of the pandemic and chip shortages, and successfully ramping up production of our most profitable models to deliver profit in Q3,” said CEO, Adrian Mardell.
“Today I am proud to announce we are accelerating our electrification path, making one of our UK plants and our next-generation medium-size luxury SUV architecture fully electric. This investment enables us to deliver to our modern luxury electric future, developing new skills, and reaffirming our commitment to be carbon net zero by 2039.”
