Jaguar Land Rover to spend $19B catch up in EV race

JLR launched its Jaguar I-Pace EV in 2018 but has not added any other zero-emission models since then.

JLR will invest 15 billion pounds ($19 billion) over the next five years in electric vehicles to catch up with rivals. JLR will launch a new full-electric Jaguar in 2025 as the brand shifts to selling only electric cars. The four-door GT will cost more than £100,000, JLR said on Wednesday. The car will be built at the automaker’s Solihull plant in central England. JLR said its Halewood plant in northwest England would become an all-electric manufacturing facility. The factory will build an all-electric Range Rover SUV starting in 2025. The company will also retool its current engine manufacturing factory in Wolverhampton to produce electric drive units and assemble battery packs. In future JLR will be the main customer for battery cells from a new plant that its owner Tata Motors is considering building in Spain or Britain, CEO Adrian Mardell said. JLR will also retain the metal stamping facilities at its Castle Bromwich site, although the carmaker said it “continues to explore options” for the rest of the facility. JLR currently makes Jaguar sedans as well as the F-Type sports car at Castle Bromwich.

JLR previously said it would invest 2.5 billion pounds a year on electrification.

The pressure on automakers to electrify quickly is picking up, especially in China where the competition is moving faster and the pressure to cut prices is getting more intense.

Source: Automotive News