UK Auto Manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover Shedding 4,000 Jobs

Luxury auto manufacturer Jaguar ‌Land Rover (JLR) said that it would be reducing its workforce by ‌4,000 globally over the ⁠next two years.

The British company, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, said on Sept. 7 that it was aiming to save 1.7 billion pounds ($2.3 billion).

JLR employs about 40,000 people globally, 30,000 of whom are in the UK.

In a statement emailed to The Epoch Times, JLR’s CEO, PB Balaji, said he was confident the actions being taken would create a stronger and more competitive company.

JLR, which makes the Range Rover, Discovery, and other luxury SUVs, has faced intense competition in Europe, especially from Chinese makers of cheaper EVs, such as Jaecoo. Sales of JLR vehicles in the United States have been impacted by President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

JLR Focusing on North America

Balaji said JLR would be launching five new models over the next 12 months, as they continued “to renew focus on North America, amongst other markets.”

JLR is targeting a break-even volume of about 300,000 vehicles a year, down from roughly 425,000 previously.

JLR said it was planning to invest between 15 billion pounds ($20.2 billion) and 18 billion pounds ($24.3 billion) over the next five years in electrification, digital technologies and advanced manufacturing.

Balaji made no reference in the statement to the cost of a cyberattack that closed its plants in England for six weeks last year. Experts at the Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC) suggested the attack could have cost 1.9 billion pounds ($2.21 billion).

British business ​minister Jonathan Reynolds said on Sept. 6 that he planned to meet Balaji this ‌week to discuss the redundancies.

Europe’s Auto Woes

Europe’s automotive industry is facing growing pressure as manufacturers struggle with high costs, the transition to electric vehicles, trade tensions, and increasing competition from China.

Although EU new-car registrations rose 5.7 percent in the first half of 2026, overall sales remain below pre-pandemic levels. Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 20.7 percent of EU registrations in the first half of 2026, up from 15.6 percent a year earlier.

European manufacturers also face high production and energy costs, fragile supply chains, trade barriers, and pressure to meet increasingly demanding emissions requirements.

The industry has warned that Europe risks becoming less attractive as a manufacturing and investment destination unless it improves its competitiveness while pursuing its climate objectives.

Chinese competition is adding another challenge. Chinese automakers have built a significant advantage in electric vehicles and batteries. China produced nearly three-quarters of the world’s electric cars in 2025, while Chinese EV exports doubled during the year.

Europe has become an important destination. More than 1 million Chinese-made cars were imported into the EU in 2025, accounting for 7 percent of total EU car sales and 20 percent of battery-electric sales.

Reuters contributed to this report.