Jaguar Land Rover will invest £500 million (R9.3 billion) over the next few years in what it calls the UK’s largest automotive creation and development centre.
Opened yesterday, the centre is based at the Gaydon site in Warwickshire.
The facility will combine under one roof the design, engineering, production and purchasing functions of the company, bringing innovation and new efficiencies which are necessary for next-generation Jaguar and Land Rover models.
It is four million square metres in length, equivalent to almost 480 football pitches, according to the automotive firm.
The complex will primarily focus on creating future autonomous, connected, electrified and shared mobility technologies, which the company says will enable its long-term, sustainable growth in the digital economy.
It has committed to develop electrified versions of all its Jaguar and Land Rover models by 2020.
This forms part of Jaguar Land Rover’s Destination Zero strategy, which focuses on achieving a future of zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion – across its facilities, and through its products and services.
Speaking at the opening event, professor Sir Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, explained: “Megatrends like urbanisation and sustainability are fundamentally changing the automotive industry. At Jaguar Land Rover, we not only participate – we are shaping future mobility. Our vision is for a world in which zero emission vehicles, public transport and self-driving pods will form one smart integrated and networked transport system.
“At Gaydon, we have invested into the future and an inspiring environment for our people. We have consciously invested with a ‘Destination Zero’ attitude.”
A subsidiary of Indian automotive company Tata Motors, Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: all-wheel-drive vehicles, Land Rover, and sports saloon and sports car marques, Jaguar.
The Jaguar Land Rover Gaydon Centre, situated north-west of the village of Gaydon, is home to almost 13 000 highly-skilled engineers and designers who are developing the current and next-generation Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.
Journey to Destination Zero
The new facility consists of more than 50 000 square metres of technologically-advanced workspace, designed to encourage collaboration throughout the vehicle development process – from sketch to showroom.
It includes the new Jaguar design studio, which uses virtual reality and artificial intelligence, digital display screens and custom-made clay modelling machines, aimed at co-locating Jaguar and Land Rover design for the first time.
Up to 20% of the centre’s energy will come from photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, and the remainder from 100% renewable sources, according to the company.
Julian Thomson, design director at Jaguar, notes: “Jaguar has a unique heritage as a design-led brand and this will always to be a central pillar of our DNA. Our studio is fitted with the latest technologies but, just as important, is the diversity of human expertise and our passion for Jaguar which helps us design the extraordinary.”
Jaguar Land Rover says it has already taken several significant steps towards its Destination Zero mission. During yesterday’s event, it showcased its latest vehicles and research technologies that will deliver on this goal, including 3D-printed ergonomic gloves and sensory steering wheels, to upcycling domestic waste to create materials for its vehicles.
The launch of the centre comes after the company announced plans to transform its Castle Bromwich facility into the UK’s first premium electrified plant, where a range of electrified vehicles will be manufactured, starting with the Jaguar XJ.
In March, the company launched its fully electric vehicle, the Jaguar I-Pace, in SA, as well as its Range Rover Sport plug-in hybrid vehicle range.
It says it has already successfully tested self-driving vehicles on complicated inner-city roads as it invests in a future that is autonomous, connected, electrified and shared.
It is also collaborating with technology companies to deliver innovation across its future vehicles and services. For example, from last year, it has been running a fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-Pace taxis in Munich.
The new Land Rover Defender will feature mild hybrids, with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles expected to be introduced next year.
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