91����

Jaguar Land Rover’s new engine manufacturing centre was opened in Wolverhampton today by Her Majesty the Queen. The new facility marks a £500 million investment from the UK manufacturer, and has directly created 1,400 jobs.

The new facility will produce Jaguar Land Rover’s new Ingenium engine range, marking the first time in decades that either brand has produced a power unit of its own design. The first in the range to be produced in Wolverhampton is a four-cylinder 2.0-litre diesel engine, which will power the new Jaguar XE.

Chief Executive of Jaguar Land Rover, Dr. Ralf Speth said, “The Engine Manufacturing Centre represents all that is great about British engineering.

“Jaguar Land Rover is a business driven by design, technology and innovation and this investment and level of job creation is yet further evidence of our commitment to advancing the capability of the UK automotive sector and its supply chain.”

The Wolverhampton plant makes up part of a wider £1 billion investment committed by manufacturers to UK engine manufacturing in recent times.

Mike Hawes, 91���� Chief Executive, said, “The opening of Jaguar Land Rover’s new engine plant is clear evidence of the UK automotive industry’s intention to become a leading force in the design, development and manufacture of engines.

“The recent success is testament to the expertise of UK engineers, a flexible workforce and a competitive and supportive business environment. It will create more jobs, bolster the supply chain and help attract overseas suppliers back to UK shores.”

In the last five years, Jaguar Land Rover has invested £10 billion, while tripling its annual engineering spend in just six years. It currently employs 28,000 in the UK, 7,000 of whom are engineers.