Jaguar Land Rover to shift Discovery production from Solihull to Slovakia
Hundreds of Jaguar Land Rover workers at Solihull face an uncertain future after the automotive giant announced it is to move production of the Land Rover Discovery to Slovakia.
JLR, which had previously said it is to cut around 1,000 agency workers in the UK, said the move would result in the “potential losses of some agency-employed staff”.
However it plans a “significant investment and technology upgrade in Solihull” ahead of production of its next-generation Land Rover models.
The company said this investment, alongside a refit of its Halewood plant in Merseyside ready for the next Evoque, “is proof that we remain committed both to the UK and to transformation and growth”.
JLR added: “The decision to move the Land Rover Discovery to Slovakia and the potential losses of some agency-employed staff in the UK is a tough one but forms part of our long-term manufacturing strategy as we transform our business globally.”
The investment at Solihull will create a new factory platform that will enable the production of cars in electric, petrol and diesel versions, according to sources speaking to Bloomberg.
The shift came despite a previous announcement last September which trumpeted “strong advanced orders” for the new Land Rover Discovery and confirmed production would take place at Solihull and JLR’s new site in Nitra, Slovakia.
The Slovakian Government is anticipating a significant positive influence in its trade balance surpluses when the factory comes online later this year.
