£250m electric vehicle test facility unveiled
Luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled its £250m test facility, as part of plans for an “all-electric future”.
The Future Energy Lab at JLR’s centre in Whitley, Coventry employs more than 200 EV engineers, with an additional 150 roles set to be created.
£40m of technological innovations to test electric vehicles are hosted at the 323,000 sq ft facility, with drive units being created for JLR’s electric Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar models.
JLR’s next EV, the Range Rover BEV is currently undergoing “hundreds of thousands” of tests at the site, with plans to release the model to the streets next year. Another eight models are expected to be launched by 2030.
Thomas Mueller, executive director of product engineering at JLR, said: “Our vehicles are, and continue to be, at the forefront of an all-electric automotive future. This facility, a core component of our Reimagine strategy, is essential to providing the advanced testing capabilities that will be vital to the performance and reliability of the modern luxury vehicles we are proudly developing.”
Oliver Boakes, chief engineer for powertrain test operations at JLR, added: “Our operations at Whitley are at the heart of JLR – itself a leading business in the local community – so this test facility is another jewel in the crown of our move towards an all-electric future. This is a notable investment for the business and local economy.”
Last month the Prime Minister announced he would extend the deadline for the ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035, although these vehicles will continue to be available on the second-hand market.
