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 closing at the end of September, 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, coupes, 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 begins.
Then, its understood, JLR will use its own versions of BMWV8 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 JLRs smaller petrol and diesel engines and the move will be welcome boost to its workforce and local economy.
Robin is the longest serving chairman of The Western Group. He’s been vice chairman or chairman for over ten years and oversees the annual Western Group PR Driving Day each summer assisted by the group committee and supported by group members.
He contributes to a number of outlets in Wales and the UK, including the Driving Force editorial syndication agency feeding the biggest regional news and feature publishers in Britain.
Robin specialises in the Welsh automotive sector and motor related businesses with interests in Wales and publishes WheelsWithinWales.uk which covers news, features, trade and motor sport in Wales.
