Photo: Jaguar Land Rover
Ever since the United Kingdom voted to get out of the European Union, analysts and automakers went berserk. Unless the British Parliament convinces the European Commission to cut the UK some slack over Brexit, the costs of building cars in the Albion will escalate to an unsustainable level, turning the local industry into nothing more than a dust bowl.
Chief executive officer Ralph Speth took a no-nonsense approach to the matter earlier in October, citing a survey which highlights that four out of five businesses have cut investment ahead of the exit from the European Union. Everybody can do the maths, and as you’re well aware, the supplier and export industries would be affected by Brexit.
There are two outcomes to speak of, called Hard Brexit and Soft Brexit. The harder one is favored by ardent Brexiteers despite the consequences, meaning that the United Kingdom would give up full access to the single market and customs union. The little rock in the Atlantic would draw up new trade deals, meaning that the UK would fall back on World Trade Organisation rules for trade with European countries.
Adding insult to injury, Jaguar Land Rover has inaugurated a manufacturing plant in Slovakia as “the latest step in the company’s plan for sustainable, global growth.” Employing 1,500 people, the site is understood to have cost Jaguar Land Rover in the ballpark of €1.4 billion.
An additional 850 people will be recruited in November, most of them from neighboring Nitra. The 300,000 square-meter facility has an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Specialized in aluminum manufacturing, Nitra has taken Discovery production away from Solihull.
Because the Discovery shares some of its underpinnings with the Range Rover Sport and full-size Range Rover, the Slovakian site could welcome the luxury brand in the coming years. Jaguar is another candidate, although it remains to be seen what sort of models can be manufactured there.
“While Jaguar Land Rover's heart and soul remain firmly anchored in the UK, expanding internationally only enriches and strengthens our UK business,” said Ralf Speth.
There are two outcomes to speak of, called Hard Brexit and Soft Brexit. The harder one is favored by ardent Brexiteers despite the consequences, meaning that the United Kingdom would give up full access to the single market and customs union. The little rock in the Atlantic would draw up new trade deals, meaning that the UK would fall back on World Trade Organisation rules for trade with European countries.
Adding insult to injury, Jaguar Land Rover has inaugurated a manufacturing plant in Slovakia as “the latest step in the company’s plan for sustainable, global growth.” Employing 1,500 people, the site is understood to have cost Jaguar Land Rover in the ballpark of €1.4 billion.
An additional 850 people will be recruited in November, most of them from neighboring Nitra. The 300,000 square-meter facility has an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Specialized in aluminum manufacturing, Nitra has taken Discovery production away from Solihull.
Because the Discovery shares some of its underpinnings with the Range Rover Sport and full-size Range Rover, the Slovakian site could welcome the luxury brand in the coming years. Jaguar is another candidate, although it remains to be seen what sort of models can be manufactured there.
“While Jaguar Land Rover's heart and soul remain firmly anchored in the UK, expanding internationally only enriches and strengthens our UK business,” said Ralf Speth.
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