º£½ÇÊÓÆµ

Oops.

Our website is temporarily unavailable in your location.

We are working hard to get it back online.

PRIVACY
Manufacturing

Comment: Jaguar eyeing EV future at Birmingham plant

Professor David Bailey casts his eye over the news that JLR appears to be planning a major investment in green technology

Jaguar is set to invest heavily in electric vehicle production(Image: Edward Stephens)

Several national newspapers reported over the weekend what has been common knowledge for months here in Birmingham.

Namely that Jaguar Land Rover is looking to invest heavily in its Castle Bromwich plant in the city to assemble a range of new electric vehicles (EVs), starting with an all-electric XJ.

What the reports didn't note was the investment is being linked to new working arrangements on which members of trade union Unite are being balloted on.

Yet again workers and unions have pulled out all the stops to work flexibly and get costs down - something they have done time and time again over the last decade to win contracts to build new models.

It's a major boost for them and the wider auto industry.

Under the plans, the factory will shut for six weeks' work to retool its production line.

The Sunday Times reported that the all-electric XJ would be the first of three electric cars to be built from a new common 'MLA' platform and would effectively end the four-day week on 2,500 workers announced last month.

The electric XJ will be followed by a large electric sports utility vehicle (SUV), with a third electric model also in the works.