Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will undergo a massive retraining program so 60% of its workforce is ready for the electric transport revolution.
The British marque said on Wednesday (UK time) it will retrain 10,000 of its UK staff over the next three years. It will also retrain another 19,000 staff in global markets.
JLR will train its staff in EV development, manufacture and servicing. The move will ready the carmaker to become an all-electric brand from 2025.
By 2027, JLR plans to introduce six all-electric vehicles. By 2030 it will offer a battery-electric model in all its segments.
This bold plan means that JLR will need to offer EV-ready skilled staff in all its locations. Currently, it says it only has electric vehicle servicing on offer at 80% of its 1,300 franchised retailers.
Barbara Bergmeier, head of industrial operations for JLR, said that the move by the British carmaker is “foundational.”
She added it will ” help plug the electric and digital skills gap with a comprehensive, global training programme, which will power charge electrification both here in the UK and abroad.”
EV retraining straightforward
Automotive engineers and production employees will train to specialise in electrification, digital and autonomous cars. Staff at all levels will be trained to work with and alongside high voltage systems batteries.
The programme in its numbers is extensive. But retraining is not too complicated, say Karl ’Freddy’ Gunnarsson.
Gunnarsson used to work on diesel catalytic converters. In January, he joined JLR’s battery team as lead cell engineer.
“The transition from working on internal combustion to electric was fairly straightforward,” he said via JLR’s press release.
“Both require a good understanding of material chemistry, and I was able to dedicate around 30 per cent of my time to independent learning.
“Now, working on electric vehicles, I can see the longevity of the programme and how it supports the company’s Reimagine strategy,” he said.
All-electric Range Rover in 2024
Jaguar currently has just one all-electric offering, the Jaguar I-Pace. Under the Land Rover badge, it offers hybrid and plug-in hybrids, but an all-electric Range Rover is expected in 2024.
In August, JLR opened a new testing facility for advanced electric vehicles. The new testing facility in Gaydon, UK consists of a new electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) lab to test future electric vehicles, ensuring they meet current standards.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.