The Jaguar Land Rover Engine Manufacturing Centre is celebrating following the first successful production of its Ingenium petrol engine, set to debut in its vehicles in mid-2017.
The Jaguar Land Rover Engine Manufacturing Centre (EMC) is a £1bn project which has finally come to fruition. The cutting-edge, flexible facility has been described as ‘the most significant new automotive manufacturing facility in the UK in the last decade’.
The announcement closely follows the news that the EMC will manufacture the high-performance 2.0 litre 300PS Ingenium petrol engine – reportedly the most powerful four-cylinder engine Jaguar Land Rover has ever produced – for the 18MY Jaguar F-TYPE.
It now serves the manufacturer’s three other UK vehicle plants and sits at the heart of the Jaguar Land Rover UK manufacturing network. Since the production of the engine began in 2015, the company has produced more than 400,000 engines. The new technology boasts various achievements including better fuel efficiency, environmentally friendly technology, more cost effective, and enhanced performance with all terrain capability and a superior driving experience.
The company is investing upwards of £3.5bn annually as it looks to extend its model range, decrease its manufacturing footprint, and make further global investments, particularly in new products and the development of new technology.
Currently, Jaguar Land Rover is one of the largest manufacturing exporters, generating roughly 80% of its revenue from exports. However, the EMC plant showcases the impact Jaguar Land Rover has had within the UK itself. The company has dedicated itself to bringing manufacturing back to the West Midlands. It has just recruited 1,400th new skilled worker, with the vast majority sourced from within the local community.
To date, the plant has welcomed 50 candidates on apprenticeship and graduate schemes to complete a bespoke powertrain development programme. They are tasked with working on advanced engineering tasks and to develop future technology.
The beginning of petrol production marks the completion of the first phase of the EMC and is considered to be a move by the company to future-proof itself following widespread disruption across much of the world’s manufacturing industries. Additionally, it aims to help solidify Jaguar Land Rover as one of the leading players in the global automotive industry.
