JLR ENGINE PRODUCTION MOVES FROM WALES TO WOLVERHAMPTON…
…by Robin Roberts.
Jaguar Land Rover is moving its petrol V8 engine line from the Ford Bridgend Engine Plant to its in-house power centre at Wolverhampton.
Workers at the South Wales engine plant, which will close later this year, have been building buffer stocks of the V8 engines to continue supplies to the luxury car maker until it can resume production in the West Midlands.
Ford Bridgend has been building the Jaguar Land Rover V6 and V8 engines since the early 1990s when the company owned the prestige brands.
In September 2016 the plant’s 20 Millionth power unit was a Jaguar engine and it produced the 1 millionth JLR engine in May 2018.
There have been discussions about some Welsh workers being offered jobs in the West Midlands making the new units, but this seems unlikely and has not been confirmed by JLR.
The new fourth generation of the AJ petrol engines used to power the famous saloons, coupés, sports cars and off-roaders are expected to go into production in about a year and continue for a further five years until tough new EU7 emissions legislation enters.
Then, it’s understood, JLR will use its own versions of BMW V8 units under a manufacturing agreement they have discussed.
The big petrol engines are popular in America and the Middle East which do not abide by the EU emissions legislation.
Wolverhampton already make JLR’s smaller petrol and diesel engines and the move will be welcome boost to its workforce and local economy.