Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) on Thursday confirmed plans to cut hundreds of managerial roles as part of a "limited" voluntary redundancy programme, which it says is aimed at better aligning its leadership workforce with the luxury car brand's business strategy.
The UK-based car manufacturer, which has been under pressure from US President Donald Trump's tariff wars, welcomed the recent trade deal that eases some pressure on its automotive exports to the American market.
However, the latest figures released last week had revealed a drop in sales in the April to June quarter which had witnessed a temporary pause in shipments to the US amid high tariffs of 25 per cent on cars.
"JLR regularly offers eligible employees voluntary redundancy (VR) programmes," a JLR spokesperson said.
"Through this limited UK VR programme for managers, JLR is aligning its leadership workforce for the business's current and future needs. We are grateful to the government for delivering at speed the new UK-US trade deal, which gives us the confidence to invest GBP 3.5 bn per annum to realise our strategy which is delivering," the spokesperson said.
The number of jobs set to be hit is estimated at around 500 amid high American tariffs which were cut to 10 per cent under the US-UK trade agreement, a rate only covering cars made in the UK. The trade deal terms also cap total annual car exports to the US at 100,000 models, with the higher rate applying to any vehicles crossing that mark.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had chosen the UK headquarters of JLR in the West Midlands region to deliver a key speech back in May to reassure staff amid the US trade wars. As news of the job cuts emerged, Downing Street said JLR was "responding to challenging global conditions".
It comes as JLR ceased production of most Jaguar models ahead of a complete relaunch expected next year. In November 2024, the carmaker unveiled a bold rebrand featuring a pink concept car and replacing its big cat logo with a capital J.
Meanwhile, the company revealed on Thursday that it is collaborating with smart electric vehicle (EV) charging software platform ev.energy to support efforts to make charging more "sustainable and affordable". JLR said it is running a pilot scheme in the UK to test the integration of ev.energy's software using 10 electric Jaguar I‑PACE models.
"Together, we are designing and deploying a smart charging solution that will meet our luxury clients' expectations. It will support the transition to electrification through the efficient use of energy, with a view to reducing pressure on the grid and lowering costs for users," said Swarna Ramanathan, JLR Chief Strategy Officer.
It forms part of a wider 'Reimagine' strategy which aims to transform the business to become carbon net zero across supply chain, products, and operations by 2039. Electrification is central to this strategy which will see all brands have a pure electric model and Jaguar entirely electric before the end of the decade.
Source Name : Economic Times