Jaguar Land Rover opens UK’s largest car design centre

Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled new facilities at its Gaydon site in Warwickshire, thought to be the country’s largest automotive creation and development centre.

The centre is also creating future autonomous, connected, electrified and shared mobility technologies that will enable JLR's long-term, sustainable growth.

The advanced product creation centre brings design, engineering and production purchasing under one roof for the first time in JLR's history. The site is 4,000,000m², the equivalent to almost 480 football pitches.

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The new facility delivers more than 50,000m² of additional world-class innovative workspace which has been designed to encourage collaboration throughout the entire vehicle development process – from sketch to showroom. It includes the new Jaguar design studio, co-locating Jaguar and Land Rover design for the first time.

The Gaydon site forms part of what JLR calls its ‘Destination Zero’ mission, an ambition to make societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner.

The company’s focus is on 'achieving a future of zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion' – across its facilities, and through its products and services.

The company has already taken several significant steps towards this mission. From the development of 3D printed ergonomic gloves and sensory steering wheels, to upcycling domestic waste to create high quality materials for its vehicles, JLR is working to deliver its mission to make societies safer, healthier and the environment cleaner.

Investing in a future that is autonomous, connected, electrified and shared, JLR has already successfully tested self-driving vehicles on complicated inner-city roads.

It is working in collaboration with academia and leading technology companies to deliver innovation across its future vehicles and services. For example, the continuous running of a fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-Pace taxis in Munich gives insights and learning to incorporate into the next generation of Destination Zero vehicles.

The company says it is on track to deliver its commitment to offer customers electrified options for all new Jaguar and Land Rover models from 2020.

The new facilities at Gaydon follows confirmation of the company’s plans to transform its Castle Bromwich facility into an electrified plant where a range of new electric vehicles will be manufactured, starting with the next generation Jaguar XJ.

Speaking at the opening event, Prof Sir Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Megatrends like urbanisation and sustainability are fundamentally changing the automotive industry. At Jaguar Land Rover, we not only participate – we are shaping future mobility. Our vision is for a world in which zero emission vehicles, public transport and self-driving pods will form one smart integrated and networked transport system.

At Gaydon, we have invested into the future and an inspiring environment for our people. We have created the prerequisites that Gaydon can design and engineer the next generations of outstanding cars in highest quality. We have consciously invested with a “Destination Zero” attitude.”