(CU)_British luxury carmaker Jaguar announced on Monday (Feb 15) that the automobile brand will be fully electric by 2025, as the firm outlined a plan to phase out internal combustion engines.
“We have all the ingredients at our disposal to reimagine the business and the experiences our customers seek, to reimagine to benchmark of luxury,” company CEO Thierry Bollore said.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Motors, following its acquisition and the merging of Jaguar Cars and Land Rover, in 2013. Despite the brand being identified by many as epitomising class, however, JLR has struggled in the recent years, and therefore hopes the move will help turn around the fortunes of the 86-year-old Jaguar brand.
This switch to an electric future may mean that the carmaker would move its production from the factory in Castle Bromwich in the east of the central England city of Birmingham, to nearby Solihull. Bollore said the firm is “exploring opportunities to repurpose” the Castle Bromwich plant, which has prompted speculation that the factory could be used for battery production.
Meanwhile, JLR said that Land Rover will also produce its first all-electric model in 2024, as the more profitable brand too phases out internal combustion engines.
The move was welcomed by many parties in the UK, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps saying it is “a huge step for British car manufacturing”, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK car industry’s lobby group, saying the announcement provides “an injection of confidence” into the sector, which suffered severely on account of the pandemic last year.
SMMT’s chief executive, Mike Hawes noted that electric vehicles align with government ambition and increasing consumer expectations. Nevertheless, he added that the United Kingdom will have to improve its competitiveness amidst “fierce” global competition in the shift to EVs.
“Government must ensure advanced manufacturing has its full support, with a policy framework and plan for growth that reduces costs, accelerates domestic battery production and electrified supply chains, and incentivises R&D and skills development,” he said.
