Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) Slovakia Plant Will Start Production in 2018

Kuala Lumpur: Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed that its new 1 billion pound Slovakia plant will start production in 2018. In a statement, the UK-based automaker has said that the construction of its new Slovakia plant will start in 2016. The plant will have an initial capacity of 150,00 vehicles.

Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover has said that the Slovakia plant "marks the next step in the company’s strategy to become a truly global business." The Indian Tata Motors-owned company is spreading out its business to increase its global sales which stood at 462,678 vehicles in 2014, including 381,108 Land Rover models and 81,570 Jaguars. JLR has already opened a new plant in China last year and now it's aimed begin production at a Brazilian plant in 2016. While the company has not mentioned the models it plans to produce in its Slovakia plant, the official statement reveals that the plant will produce a range of all-new aluminum Jaguar Land Rovers. The first car produced at the JLR's Slovakia plant will come in late 2018.

Jaguar Land Rover has signed that a letter of intent for the plant with the Slovakian government in August, this year. The UK-based automaker has preferred Slovakia over the locations in U.K, U.S, Mexico, and Poland, thanks to the good infrastructure and strong supply chain of the country. JLR's Slovakia plant will be located in Nitra, western Slovakia.

Over the years, Slovakia has become a hub of automotive manufacturing over the last few years. Volkswagen Group manufactures Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Touareg at it's Bratislava plant in Slovakia. PSA/Peugeot-Citroen has produced more than 255,000 vehicles from its Trnava plant in Slovakia. Kia Motors has also produced over 300,000 vehicles from its Zilina Plant in the country. Jaguar Land Rover's plant in Nitra is just 100 kilometers away from Volkswagen and PSA plants while Kia's factory is located at a distance of 200 kilometers.

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