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Jaguar Confirms Electric XJ, Will Be Manufactured At Castle Bromwich

After years of countless rumors, Jaguar came out with what everyone was expecting. At long last, we have confirmation the XJ will go all-electric in order to take on competitors such as the Tesla Model S.
Jaguar I-Pace 14 photos
Photo: Jaguar
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Electrified options are coming to all Jaguar and Land Rover models from 2020, including the new Defender. “The future of mobility is electric and, as a visionary British company, we are committed to making our next generation of zero-emission vehicles in the UK,” said Ralf Speth, chief executive officer.

“We are co-locating our electric vehicle manufacture, Electronic Drive Units and battery assembly to create a powerhouse of electrification in the Midlands,” he added, referring to the Castle Bromwich plant in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull. Along with this announcement, Jaguar confirmed that the current generation of the XJ luxury sedan is no longer in production.

In development as we speak, the XJ will borrow the know-how utilized in the I-Pace. Batteries will come courtesy of the Battery Assembly Center at Hams Hall, which is scheduled to be operational in 2020. As for Castle Bromwich, the plant will go through quite a few changes with the addition of different tools and facilities to support the series production of MLA-based vehicles.

MLA is Jaguar Land Rover for Modular Longitudinal Architecture, developed for rear- and all-wheel-drive models. The next generation of the Range Rover will share the MLA with the XJ, and multiple levels electrification are supported. From mild hybrid to plug-in hybrid and all-electric applications, there’s a lot to expect in the coming years from both Jaguar and Land Rover.

“Affordability will only be achieved if we make batteries here in the UK, close to vehicle production, to avoid the cost and safety risk of importing from abroad,”
concluded Speth, which confirmed that a part of the raw materials will be supplied from the United Kingdom.

For the time being, the I-Pace remains the only all-electric model in the Jaguar Land Rover portfolio. The Ian Callum-designed crossover features two electric motors, a 90-kWh battery, and a Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure–rated range of 470 kilometers (292 miles). Over in the United States, make that 234 miles (377 kilometers) as per the Environmental Protection Agency.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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