8:59 am, June 29, 2021
Jaguar Land Rover has paused production of both the Defender and the Discovery after the factory that builds them fell victim to the ongoing semiconductor crisis.
Production at the Slokvakian plant has ground to a shuddering halt due to the global shortage, the Times reports.
Before the pandemic hit, the site was producing around 150,000 cars per year – more than a fifth of JLR’s total output for 2019.
It has not yet been confirmed when production will resume.
The Defender in particular has been a roaring success for JLR since the latest model was launched, with wait times at around a year before production was halted.
The latest freeze is expected to push that up even further.
The site, in Nitra, Western Solvakia, is the latest JLR factory to see production halted because of semiconductor issues.
In April, the firm was forced to pause the production lines at its UK sites in Castle Bromwich and Halewood.
The move meant the firm has not been making the Jaguar XE, XF and F-Type ever since.
Production of the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque were also halted.
A JLR spokesman said: ‘Like other automotive manufacturers, we’re currently experiencing some Covid-19 supply chain disruption, including the global availability of semiconductors, which is having an impact on our production schedules.
‘As a result, we are adjusting production schedules in some of our plants to reflect this.
‘We continue to see strong customer demand for our range of vehicles.
‘We’re working closely with affected suppliers to resolve the issues and minimise the impact on customer orders wherever possible.’
The semiconductor crisis currently shows no immediate sign of ending with almost all car makers feeling its effects.
Bosch recently announced plans for a new factory to make the microchips but will not begin making them for automotive clients until September.
The chips help to control infotainment systems and mains screens as well as power steering and brake sensors.
