Jaguar Land Rover has started the construction of a new production facility in Nitra, Solvakia. The £1 billion (around Rs 8,838 crore) plant is on course to open in late 2018, and is confirmed to become the birthplace of several new all-aluminium JLR models.

While the models to be built there are yet to be revealed, the key candidate on the list is the 2019 Land Rover Defender. The factory will have an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles and will use what JLR describes as “cutting-edge current manufacturing technologies”.  The plant will be the first in Europe to use a Kuka Pulse carrier system, which is claimed to be 30 percent faster than conventional conveyance systems, helping to speed up production times.

A highly automated paint shop will be built into the plant, and later on, JLR says new smart, connected manufacturing processes can be integrated as technology becomes available.  Water saving devices and heat recovery systems will help to boost the plant’s efficiency and minimise its environmental impact.

JLR had confirmed its plans to build the plant at the close of 2015. Since then, 40,000 people have registered interest in working at the facility. JLR says that when it opens in around two years, 2,800 employees will work there.

The new plant comes at a time when JLR is rapidly expanding its production facilities and investing in new technologies.  Demand for the XE has grown so much that production for the model has had to be shifted from Sulihull to Castle Bromwich, with £100 million of investment being made to cater for the move. A new factory in Brazil was also opened earlier this year to cater for demand in South America.

Additionally, Jaguar is leading JLR’s charge for electric drivetrain development, as the company has re-entered the world of motorsport with its Panasonic Jaguar Racing outfit in the 2016/2017 FIA Formula E championship.

Sam Sheehan
(Autocar UK)