JLR's electric vehicle expansion plans to bring jobs to West Midlands
Jaguar Land Rover is planning to create some 10,000 new jobs in the West Midlands in the initial phase of an expansion of its manufacturing and R&D facilities near Coventry, with an eye on making the UK the centre of the development and manufacture of electric vehicles.
The Financial Times and the Coventry Telegraph both carry reports of a meeting held by JLR Chief Executive Ralph Speth, Lord Kumar Bhattacharya, head of Warwick Manufacturing Group, Secretary of State for Industry Greg Clark and Martin Yardley, acting head of Coventry City Council.
Indicating that the decision was influenced by the government’s announcement that it wants to make battery technology and electric cars central to its industrial policy, Speth is reported to have said that JLR is planning to increase production of vehicles from 500,000 to 1 million per year, and as a result is also planning to double its international workforce by 2020.
The Coventry plans include test centres and research facilities, and in the longer term, a manufacturing site which would include a battery production unit as well as additional production lines for cars. It is the initial phase that is projected to give rise to the 10,000 new jobs, as well as an estimated 100,000 in the supply chain.
Register now to continue reading
Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.
Benefits of registering
-
In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends
-
Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year
-
Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox
Experts speculate over cause of Iberian power outages
I´m sure politicians will be thumping tables and demanding answers - while Professor Bell, as reported above, says ´wait for detailed professional...