Jaguar to relocate plant to Slovakia

Britain’s biggest car maker, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, is moving all production of its Land Rover Discovery to Slovakia from a plant near Birmingham, which will be retooled to accommodate a new generation of electric cars.

The company, owned by Tata Motors, will create a new factory platform at its Solihull, plant that will enable the production of cars in electric, petrol and diesel versions, said people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named.

Discovery production will be moved from the beginning of 2019, meaning job cuts at the Solihull plant are possible before it ramps up staffing again, the people said.

The investment could cut both ways. While some agencyemployed workers may lose their jobs, the decision to build electric cars at Solihull marks a major commitment to UK manufacturing amid uncertainty over Brexit. After its makeover, the plant will produce the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models.

The car maker will build the next of its Range Rover Evoque models at a site in Halewood, northern England, where the Discovery Sport is also made.