Jaguar Land Rover (JLR)’s Director of Government Affairs, Murray Paul, who will be appearing at the T+E Forum this November, explains how the company is driving into a future of sustainable transport and supporting UK manufacturing.
At JLR, we take immense pride in our role as the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer and R&D investor. Our responsibility extends beyond producing world-class vehicles; we are pivotal in driving investment and fostering growth within UK manufacturing. With 80% of our vehicles sold in 160 countries, we stand as the UK’s most significant automotive exporter.
Our commitment to the UK economy is underscored by the investment in our sites to build our future cars and the 34,000 high-skill, high-paying jobs we provide, particularly in the Midlands and Northwest, supporting the vitality of these communities.
Our Vision: Reimagine Strategy
In 2021, we launched our global Reimagine Strategy, placing electric vehicle manufacturing at the heart of our operations. This transformative journey from combustion engines to hybrid and pure electric vehicles demands substantial investment to meet our customers’ evolving needs.
We have committed to increasing our investment plans from £15bn to £18bn over the next five years, striving to decarbonise our manufacturing sites and vehicle portfolio. Our ultimate goal is to become a net-zero carbon company by 2039, balancing economic growth with our social impact and responsibilities.
Pioneering Electrification: Ready for the Future
Our major UK sites are on a pathway towards this long-term net zero carbon ambition. By 2030, we aim to reduce 46% of our carbon emissions across our own operations, 60% per vehicle km, across the use of our vehicles and 54%, per vehicle, across our value chain.
Our recently announced £500m investment in Halewood signifies JLR’s first all-electric production facility, part of a larger £1.4bn investment across Halewood and Solihull. Additionally, our £250m investment in the Future Energy Lab in Coventry underscores our commitment to pioneering powertrain solutions.
Evolving Our Workforce: Upskilling for the Future
Our commitment extends to our workforce. We are continuously evolving the skills of our employees, focusing on critical specialisms such as battery and fuel-cell technologies, software engineering, artificial intelligence and data analytics. Lifelong training opportunities are paramount at JLR, complemented by robust graduate and apprenticeship programmes.
We have trained more than 20,000 JLR colleagues and partners in electrification and digital skills as part of JLR’s Future Skills Programme and electrification training for over 11,000 JLR manufacturing colleagues is now underway. Boasting one of the largest apprenticeship populations in the UK automotive sector, our JLR Academy is also currently nurturing around 1,300 apprentices.
Balancing Tradition with Innovation
While upholding our heritage of crafting luxury all-terrain vehicles, we are steadfast in our focus on electrification.
We have to ensure our electric vehicles meet the highest quality and expected performance standards and that requires relentless innovation and bespoke technology development to deliver the best all-electric off-road capabilities. Our commitment to electric, autonomous, AI and digital technologies drives us to meet our global customer needs and future legislative requirements in the markets we operate in.
Collaboration for a Brighter Future
We recognise the broader challenges that lie beyond our control. Rising costs in the UK, particularly in energy, and access to critical materials, pose challenges to our competitiveness in global markets. Furthermore, the plateauing of EV demand highlights the need for enhanced consumer confidence.
At JLR, we want to see even greater collaboration between the auto industry and the UK government to help accelerate EV adoption rates. We support a ZEV mandate that reflects real-time market conditions, ensuring domestic manufacturers are not unfairly penalised and are able to stay competitive in global markets in the lead up to 2030, as well as championing the role of hybrid technologies post-2030.
All electric Range Rover and Jaguar
We have committed to electric variants being available across all our brands by 2030 – starting with the first all- electric Range Rover and the eagerly anticipated relaunch of the all-electric Jaguar brand. JLR will also be the anchor customer for Agratas’s £4bn gigafactory in Somerset, a new state-of-the-art battery cell manufacturing facility.
We want to play our part in making the transition to electric a success and together, we can navigate these challenges and lead the charge towards a sustainable future.
Murray will be talking with Quentin Willson at the Transport + Energy Forum this November. Book your tickets for event here now.
