Knowsley Council has welcomed a decision by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) to convert its production plant in Merseyside into the firm's first all-electric facility.
The decision to convert the plant, where currently more than 3,700 people work, is part of a £15bn global investment in electric vehicles over the next five years.
Speaking yesterday, a spokesperson for Knowsley Council said: ‘We’re delighted at today’s news as it places JLR’s Knowsley plant at the very heart of the company’s future plans. It is fantastic, not only for the thousands of local people currently employed by JLR in Halewood, but it also means countless opportunities for the workforce of the future, too.
‘We’re very proud to have JLR here in Knowsley and today’s announcement is further confirmation of just how committed they are to Halewood and to the local workforce, who will now be spearheading the company’s move into all-electric production.’
JLR’s chief executive officer, Adrian Mardell, said: ‘Today I am proud to announce we are accelerating our electrification path, making one of our UK plants and our next-generation medium-size luxury SUV architecture fully electric.
‘This investment enables us to deliver to our modern luxury electric future, developing new skills, and reaffirming our commitment to be net zero carbon by 2039.’
