Jaguar Land Rover has delivered a vote of confidence in its UK manufacturing capabilities with the opening of a huge new facility in the Midlands.
The firm’s Advanced Product Creation Centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire will see the consolodation of several key departments under one roof.
The new facility delivers more than 50,000m² of additional workspace.
Vehicle design, engineering and purchasing functions across the company are being brought together for the first time.
It includes the new Jaguar design studio, co-locating Jaguar and Land Rover design.
Formally opening the new facility, which is located on Jaguar Land Rover’s existing Gaydon site, MD Dr Ralf Speth explained how it represents a key stage in the company’s Destination Zero mission - to ultimately deliver zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion.
The largest facility of its kind in the UK, it will be at the heart of Jaguar Land Rover’s plans to create autonomous, connected, electrified and shared mobility technologies.
Watch: The trailer for a film exploring Jaguar's electric journey
The new building is one of the most sustainable buildings in the UK, according to Jaguar Land Rover.
The company’s Gaydon site is home to almost 13,000 engineers and designers who are developing the current and next generation Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.
The entire site is 4,000,000m², the equivalent to almost 480 football pitches, and has seen almost £500m invested in it over recent years.
In terms of the new facility’s sustainable credentials, up to 20 per cent of its energy will come from almost 3,000m² of photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, and the remainder from 100 per cent renewable sources.
The same glazing technology as the Eden Project has been used to bring natural light into the building wherever possible and make it more energy efficient.
The company says it has worked at creating a natural environment in the expanded facility to promote the personal health, wellbeing and productivity of its employees.
In addition a natural landscape is at the heart of the site, creating an ecologically diverse area reusing 80,000m³ of natural soil excavated during the construction process, the equivalent of 30 Olympic sized pools.
Mr Speth said: “This is a very modern and inspiring working space, designed for our people, partners and suppliers alike.
“As Abraham Lincoln said the best way to predict the future is to create it.
“At Jaguar Land Rover we have the vision, the products, the people - and now I am also delighted to say we have the facilities to design and engineer the solutions which will take us to Destination Zero.”
