Jaguar Land Rover invests over £7m in specialist machinery for Wolverhampton works

The firm says the specialist "hairpin winding machines" create components that deliver up to 25% higher efficiency in their electric motors than more traditional processes. 

The move comes as the company prepares to switch over its engine manufacturing facility in Wolverhampton to producing electric engines and batteries, having renamed the facility next to the M54 to the "Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre" in 2023. 

The site had produced petrol and diesel engines since it opened in 2014, but two years ago the company announced plans to switch the factory to "all‑electric production".

Batteries and electric drive units for the new Range Rover Electric, which is set to launch later this year, will be made in Wolverhampton.

"We’ve installed six brand new hairpin machines at our Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton as we continue to prepare our manufacturing facilities to produce electric powertrains and batteries," said a spokesperson.

"Automating certain parts of the production process ensures even higher quality and consistency—making hairpin machines the go-to choice for modern high-performance EVs like the upcoming Range Rover Electric."

JLR announced in 2024 that it had spent over £350 million installing equipment to produce battery packs and electric drive units in Wolverhampton as it gears up to launch a range of new electric models over the next few years.

The firm launched a recruitment drive for up to 100 new electrification roles at its Wolverhampton factory last month, with a further 50 at a site in Solihull, to support the switch.

"The precision and efficiency of hairpin winding technology are game changers for EV manufacturing," said Satyender Bidesi, Manufacturing Engineering Manager at JLR.

"We're leveraging this innovation to create world-class electric powertrains that deliver performance, sustainability, and luxury in equal measures. This incredible progress is thanks to our team's unwavering hard work in implementing this new technology."

Earlier this year, the company lodged plans with South Staffordshire Council to expand production facilities at the i54 plant with a 6,500 square feet extension to the site to provide extra capacity for manufacturing.  

If approved, the proposals will provide an additional parts set-down area and replace the existing 1,200 square metre extension to the west of the site.