9:58 am, September 26, 2024
JLR’s Halewood car plant is to receive a major injection of cash in order to allow the firm to build EVs there.
The carmaker has announced an additional £250m investment into the Merseyside premises, which will mean the facility will be able to produce electric vehicles alongside traditional combustion-engined cars.
JLR had already pledged a separate £250m to help the site transition to EV production, with the first batch of cash used to help introduce new production lines, machinery and staffing.
The latest investment will be ploughed into Halewood ‘over the coming years’ and will allow the site to pivot and ‘enable the parallel production of internal combustion, hybrid and pure electric vehicles’.
The facility – which originally opened in 1963 to produce the Ford Anglia – has already seen over one million hours of construction work in the last 12 months with an additional 32,364 square metres added to the footprint of the facility.
As a result of the expansion, JLR is now planning to produce its upcoming medium-sized electric SUV at the plant.
It forms part of the company’s ‘Reimagine’ strategy which will see all of the brand’s products electrified in some way by 2030.
In addition, JLR aims to be carbon net zero across all supply chains, products and operations by 2030.
Barbara Bergmeier, executive director of industrial operations at JLR, said: ‘Halewood has been the heart and soul of JLR in the north west of England for well over two decades, producing vehicles such as the Range Rover Evoque and Discovery Sport.
‘Halewood will be our first all-electric production facility, and it is a testament to the brilliant efforts by our teams and suppliers who have worked together to equip the plant with the technology needed to deliver our world-class luxury electric vehicles.’
Main image: Dave Thompson/PA Archive/PA Images
