The 61-year-old Halewood plant near Liverpool is set to undergo some changes. Jaguar Land Rover has just announced a massive investment of £500 million to prepare the production site for the arrival of electric vehicles.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is about to enter a new era. A few years behind its competitors, the British group has decided to invest seriously in electric cars. The manufacturer is particularly keen to transform its historic plant in Halewood. In total, £500 million has been put on the table. Half of this sum has been spent on modernising production lines, renewing machines and training staff.
Jaguar Land Rover modernises its historic factory
To adapt to the arrival of electric cars, the factory located near Liverpool has been extended by more than 32,000 square metres. The length of the final production line has been increased from 4 to 6 kilometres to allow the installation of batteries in the vehicles. The site has also been equipped with modern technologies with 750 autonomous robots, ADAS calibration equipment and laser alignment technology. "The factory of the future", according to JLR.
It is at Halewood that the car manufacturer will manufacture its mid-size electric SUVs based on the new EMA (Electric Modular Architecture) platform. As part of its "Reimagine" strategy, Jaguar Land Rover has promised to electrify all its brands by 2030. The group also aims to become carbon neutral across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039.
“Halewood has been the heart and soul of JLR in the North West of England for many decades. As a result, Halewood will be our first dedicated EV manufacturing site, and it is testament to our teams’ efforts to equip the plant with the technology needed to deliver world-class luxury EVs,” said Barbara Bergmeier, Executive Director of Industrial Operations at JLR.
But the time for all-electric has yet to come
Surprisingly, the other half of the investment will not be for the arrival of electric cars. Instead, Jaguar Land Rover wants to use it to prepare for and accelerate the production of plug-in hybrids and combustion engines. The manufacturer talks of a “transition period” before the site is fully dedicated to electric cars. JLR recently abandoned its target of launching six electric cars by 2026.
The group believes that "the demand for electric cars is not high enough". Instead, the British firm wants to focus on hybrids and plug-in hybrids. The group even speaks of a "surprising increase" in demand for PHEVs. In 2023, the group sold 45,224 plug-in hybrid models (+68% compared to the previous year). JLR is now targeting 60% electric sales by 2030, and 100% by 2036.
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