Jaguar cuts petrol cars as it changes gear to an electric era

Jaguar Land Rover to ramp up EV production with £15bn investment

Jaguar is set to cease production of nearly all its petrol cars by the end of this year, marking a significant shift towards an all-electric future.

The British luxury car manufacturer will continue to produce just one combustion engine vehicle, the F-Pace SUV, before transitioning to an entirely electric line-up starting next year.

Production of the XE, XF, and F-Type models at Castle Bromwich ended in May, and Jaguar plans to stop manufacturing the hybrid E-Pace in Austria, along with the electric I-Pace, by December.

Adrian Mardell, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), confirmed the phase-out during a recent investor day, stating that these models were “close to zero-profitability products.” The transition aligns with Jaguar’s strategy to introduce a range of new all-electric vehicles, beginning with a battery-powered grand tourer set to launch next year.

Jaguar’s chief creative officer, Gerry McGovern, has been building anticipation for the upcoming electric models, describing the first new electric car as something unprecedented. “Imagine something that you’ve never seen before that looks like it’s dropped from the sky – and times [that] by five. That’s how different these Jaguars are going to be,” McGovern said, promising a design that echoes Jaguar’s E-Type glory days while remaining unique.

Richard Molyneux, JLR’s finance chief, highlighted the strategic move to eliminate lower-value, unprofitable models and replace them with new vehicles built on innovative architectures.

The pivot to electric vehicles represents Jaguar’s commitment to a sustainable future and a significant transformation in the automotive industry.