Automotive supply chain set for £5bn boost following launch of Jaguar F-Pace
THE UK automotive supply chain is expected to benefit from a £5bn windfall courtesy of Jaguar Land Rover following the launch of its revolutionary new crossover vehicle, the Jaguar F-Pace.
JLR took the wraps off the hugely anticipated vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show last night – accompanied by an amazing video showing the car looping the loop (see below).
Speaking at the show this morning, JLR CEO Dr Ralf Speth said the new vehicle further underlined the company’s commitment to the UK manufacturing sector.
He said the UK economy was benefitting from the revitalisation of the Jaguar brand and expanding product line-up, which had presented major new supply contract opportunities, together with significant investment in advanced manufacturing facilities.
The F-Pace is the latest new model from the Jaguar stable following the critically acclaimed launches of the XE and XF. Designed, engineered and manufactured at JLR’s Solihull plant, the new models are the result of a £1.5bn investment that has seen the company pioneer the use of lightweight aluminium production techniques.
Built alongside the Jaguar XE at Lode Lane, the F-Pace has resulted in an additional £120m of investment in the facility. This takes the total amount invested in Solihull’s ‘factory within a factory’ to £620mn – the largest investment in the 70-year history of the plant.
In total, the UK supply chain has benefited from Jaguar’s product expansion with a total of £13bn worth of supply contracts – £4bn each for the XE and XF and £5bn for the F-Pace alone.
Dr Speth said: “We are pushing the boundaries in design, engineering and manufacturing to deliver outstanding cars. Our investment in the development of the F-Pace; its industry leading architecture and the UK plants which support its manufacture provides a clear signal that Jaguar Land Rover is committed to Britain and advancing the skills and capability of the industry.”
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The F-Pace follows the Jaguar XE, Range Rover Evoque, Discovery Sport and Jaguar XF in adopting the award-winning Ingenium engine. Manufactured at the company’s £500mn Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton, which celebrates its one year anniversary next month, the four-cylinder diesel engine in the F-Pace is capable of 57.7mpg and CO2 emissions of just 129g/km.
Jaguar Land Rover’s latest model also benefits from significant investments in the company’s Castle Bromwich plant. The £400m investment in facilities across this site have included a new blanker line which produces blank sheets of aluminium used to create F-Pace body panels, making it the most aluminium intensive product in its class.
The Jaguar F-Pace goes on sale worldwide in early 2016.
Rachel Eade, automotive lead at the Business Growth Service, said: “September is proving a particularly good news month for the UK automotive supply chain, with this latest announcement from JLR following on from Nissan’s investment in the North East.
“It all helps to create a vibrant environment and helps boost our reputation for being able to support new advancements in car manufacturing and can only help the powers that be when they are looking to attract other inward investment into the West Midlands and further afield.”
