Speaking at an event entitled Prosperity Through Science at Birmingham's Thinktank, Jaguar Land Rover's Group Engineering Director, Bob Joyce, told an audience of academics, industrialists and politicians that innovation delivered profits.
Mr Joyce used the example of the Dynamic Response System, which cost £8.5m to develop, as a key sales success for the Range Rover Sport which directly contributed significantly to annual profits thereafter.
"Technology is the 'hidden' feature that provides customer delight and creates ongoing profits for JLR and our partners. This is one example of how investment in science and technology can benefit the national and regional economy, while enhancing products and delivering profits. Applying the same approach will allow us to achieve reduced CO2 emissions in future products," said Mr Joyce.
Jaguar Land Rover is in the vanguard of the UK motor industry's drive towards a greener future. It invests £400m a year in research and development ‑ well over a third of the total UK automotive spend on R&D. It is investing £800m on developing sustainable technologies that will lower CO2 emissions from its vehicles. In addition,
Jaguar Land Rover engineers are working with suppliers, universities and Advantage West Midlands, on a range of low carbon technologies including hybrids, kinetic energy, lightweight material and electric vehicles.
Contact
Mark Foster
Manager Corporate Communications
01926 648405
mfoste49@jaguarlandrover.com
Notes for editors:
Jaguar Land Rover is a business built around two great British
car brands that design, engineer and manufacture in the UK. Jaguar
Cars Limited, founded in 1922, is one of the world's premier
manufacturers of luxury saloons and sports cars. Since 1948 Land
Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that define 'breadth of
capability' in their segments. The Jaguar XF, XJ and XK models are
manufactured at the company's Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham,
while the Jaguar X‑TYPE is produced alongside the Land Rover
Freelander 2 at the Halewood plant in Liverpool. Land Rover's
Defender, Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover models are
all built at the Solihull plant. The Jaguar Land Rover business
employs some 15,000 people, predominately in the UK, including some
3,500 engineers at two product development centres in Whitley,
Coventry and Gaydon, Warwickshire. The business is a major wealth
generator for the UK with 78 percent of Land Rovers exported to
over 160 countries and 70 percent of Jaguars expor
ted to over 60 countries, with sales to customers conducted
principally through franchised dealers and importers.