JLR has announced that it will be setting up a new production facility in Slovakia. To be located in Nitra, western Slovakia, construction of the plant will start in 2016, and the first car to come off the assembly line is expected in late 2018.
The upcoming factory is intended to help Jaguar Land Rover increase its production significantly. Expected to have initial capacity of 1,50,000 vehicles per year, the figure could double to around 3,00,000 vehicles over time. This could help take JLR’s global output closer to 8,00,000 vehicles a year.
JLR has also confirmed that the plant will build the latest, lightweight aluminium Jaguar and Land Rover models, with the factory being designed to add to the company’s existing plants rather than serve as a replacement.
Ralf Speth, JLR's chief executive officer, said, “Jaguar Land Rover is delighted today to welcome Slovakia into our family. The new factory will complement our existing facilities in the UK, China, India and Brazil and marks the next step in the company’s strategy to become a truly global business.
The company had been considering other sites in Mexico, USA and Europe but the close proximity to suppliers and “excellent logistics infrastructure” made the site in Slovakia ideal.
LR has invested more than £11 billion in product creation and capital expenditure in the past five years, boosting its workforce by 20,000 to 36,000 around the world. This includes more than £500 million on a new engine plant in the Midlands, with 1,400 new jobs, and significant investment in plants at Castle Bromwich, Halewood and Solihull. It is also ready to start building cars at the Magna Steyr plant in Austria.
There is no official confirmation on the models to be produced in JLR's new facility, though the upcoming Land Rover Discovery 5 and Defender replacement are likely to be manufactured here.