Jaguar to only build SUVs from June as it culls saloons and sports cars ahead of switch to EVs

Jaguar will scale back new car production to just SUV models in 2024 as the British brand ramps-up its preparations to become an electric-only luxury car maker from next year.

The car maker’s Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham will stop building cars in a matter of weeks, signalling the end of the road for the XE and XF saloons and F-Type sports car.

It means Jaguar will only be making examples of the E-Pace, F-Pace and electric I-Pace SUVs for the remainder of the year before ditching the internal combustion engine once and for all in 2025.

Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich car factory in Birmingham will stop producing cars in June as the British manufacturer ramps up transition to become an exclusive EV-maker from 2025

US title Road & Track magazine recently published an interview with Jaguar’s North American CEO Joe Eberhardt, who broke the news that car production at Castle Bromwich is stopping imminently.

He told the title: ‘The majority of our products cease production in June, but they will be on sale for a much longer time.

‘We will have a production schedule that enables us to have a continuous supply of vehicles until the new cars come.

‘We’re trying to time it so we have enough volume to take us through to the launch of the new product and have a clean handover.’

JLR UK has since confirmed that the Castle Bromwich site will stop making cars in June, with customers only able to get their hands on its saloon, estate and sports car models from remaining stock.

‘As JLR transitions to its electric future, current Jaguar production at our Castle Bromwich site will come to an end in June 2024,’ a spokesperson told This is Money.

‘Our UK production facilities are being reconfigured to produce JLR’s next generation electric models, this includes the stampings operation at Castle Bromwich which will be expanded to manufacture body panels for all our brands.

‘Jaguar will begin an exciting new era as a pure-electric modern luxury brand with production commencing at our Solihull facility from 2025.’

The car maker’s Castle Bromwich factory (pictured) will stop building cars in a matter of weeks, signalling the end of the road for the XE and XF saloons and F-Type sports car

‘Our UK production facilities are being reconfigured to produce JLR’s next generation electric models, this includes the stampings operation at Castle Bromwich which will be expanded to manufacture body panels for all our brands,’ a spokesperson for Jaguar told This is Money

Jaguar Cars bought the Castle Bromwich factory in 1977. It was previously using during the Second World War to build Spitfires and Lancaster Bombers

Jaguar Cars bought the factory back in 1977 and it has been the production home for a variety of its models, including the XK, XJ and S-Type.

Before Jaguar’s ownership, the site famously built Spitfires and Lancaster bombers for WWII.

Production stopping at the Midlands car plant will provide a window for Jaguar to convert the site into a parts facility for its next generation of electric cars. 

This will start with a jaw-dropping four-door grand tourer with ‘wow’ factor that JLR hopes can spearhead the renaissance of the British luxury car maker, as part of a £15billion investment in the company’s future.

No pictures have been revealed but bosses said the dramatic GT with 600bhp and a range of 430 miles will ‘look like nothing else’ and be the first of three all-electric Jaguars launched.

First customer deliveries will put the new Jag on the road from 2025, from which time Jaguar will be a totally electric ‘reborn’ brand.

The new Jaguar will be sold in special boutique salons and online but it won’t come cheap, with a price tag set to start from £100,000.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk