Jaguar Land Rover to build electric cars at UK factory

Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to build full-electric cars at its Castle Bromwich factory in England.

An all-electric version of the XJ replacement will be the first of three new battery-powered vehicles followed by an SUV.

The investment will help to secure the future of the Castle Bromwich factory. JLR has scheduled a six-week shutdown at the site to install a new range of tooling that will allow it to make full-electric cars, the Sunday Times said.

JLR will launch its Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) electric-capable platform on a "large SUV and a large premium sedan." MLA can be adapted for pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and mild-hybrid drivetrains. Electric cars using the MLA platform will have a range of up to 470 km (292 miles).

JLR's first electric SUV is expected to be a battery-powered version of the next-generation Range Rover.

Jaguar Land Rover will partner with BMW for electric motors, transmission and power electronics, the companies said in June.

The move to invest in Castle Bromwich is a rare bright spot for the British automotive sector which has been hit by job cuts, plant closure announcements and falling sales in recent months linked to tumbling demand for diesel vehicles and Brexit uncertainty.

Source: Automotive News