Tata JLR unveils major electric car investment plans for UK

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), part of Tata Motors since 2008, has announced plans to manufacture a range of new electrified vehicles at its manufacturing plant in Castle Bromwich.

"The future of mobility is electric," said Chief Executive Officer Ralf Speth. "As a visionary British company, we are committed to making our next generation of zero-emission vehicles in the UK.

"We are co-locating our electric vehicle manufacture, electronic drive units and battery assembly to create a powerhouse of electrification in the Midlands," he said in a statement on Friday (local time).

The first new electric car to be produced at the plant will be Jaguar's flagship luxury saloon, the XJ. The news was confirmed to workers at Castle Bromwich as production of the current XJ came to an end.

The announcement, which safeguards several thousand jobs in the UK, is the next stage in execution of Jaguar Land Rover's electrification strategy. In January, the company confirmed plans to bring battery and electric drive unit (EDU) assembly to the Midlands with investment in new and existing facilities.

These investments have been anticipated in the company's previously communicated capital investment plans. The new battery assembly centre at Hams Hall operational in 2020 will be the most innovative and technologically advanced in the UK with an installed capacity of 150,000 units.

Together with the Wolverhampton engine manufacturing centre, home of Jaguar Land Rover's global EDU production, these facilities will power the next generation of Jaguar and Land Rover models.

"Convenience and affordability are the two key enablers to drive the uptake of electric vehicles to the levels that we all need. Charging should be as easy as refuelling a conventional vehicle," said Speth.