---
title: "Chinese Arm of Jaguar Land Rover Commits to Sizable $1 Billion EV Investment"
description: "The money will go toward converting a Chery-JLR plant to produce electric vehicles and construction of an electric vehicle R&D center."
date: "2018-11-27"
modified: "2019-05-24"
authors:
  - name: "James Gilboy"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/james-gilboy"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/25144/chinese-arm-of-jaguar-land-rover-commits-to-sizable-1-billion-ev-investment"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "chery"
  - "China"
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "Jaguar"
  - "PLug-in hybrid"
---

# Chinese Arm of Jaguar Land Rover Commits to Sizable $1 Billion EV Investment

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/11/gettyimages-130604547-e1543336868809.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

The Chinese wing of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Chery-JLR, signed an agreement Thursday to invest ¥7 billon RMB ($1 billion USD) in its manufacturing facility based in Changshu.

Chery's facility there is the only complete JLR vehicle plant outside the United Kingdom and has a maximum annual production capacity of 200,000 internal combustion-powered vehicles, according to China's [*Gasgoo*](<https://autonews.gasgoo.com/new_energy/70015407.html>). Its investment in the plant will modernize the [body](<https://soothelife.com/pages/reviews>) workshop and convert the plant into a new energy (electric, hydrogen, et cetera) powertrain manufacturing site. The plan will also add a research and development center for these powertrains, complete with a test track. According to [*Autocar*](<https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/jaguar-land-rovers-chinese-arm-invests-£800m-ev-production>), this facility will be the home for all of JLR's EV operations on completion, from conception to production.

JLR's success with electric vehicles has so far been mixed. Its I-Pace electric crossover was so good that it [deprived *The Drive*'s Mike Guy of sleep](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/21601/the-all-electric-2019-jaguar-i-pace-first-drive-review-so-good-itll-keep-you-up-at-night>), but the vehicle also suffers from [efficiency below expectations](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/24499/why-does-the-electric-jaguar-i-pace-only-offer-234-miles-of-range>), suspected to either be a software-locked battery or inefficient electric motors. JLR's electric powertrain technology needs to mature before it can mount a serious challenge to premium electric automakers and industry leaders Tesla and Porsche as it reportedly [hopes to do within a decade](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/24213/report-jaguar-considering-going-all-electric-within-a-decade-to-fight-tesla-and-porsche>).

Its plan will reportedly involve a gradual elimination of internal combustion engines from its lineup, concluding with the termination of the J-Pace in 2027. Reports as to whether the next F-Type will retain its internal combustion powerplant for the entirety of its product cycle conflict; some allege it'll go electric with the rest, others that it will use a BMW-sourced V8. Like the rest of the industry, electric power will be crucial to JLR's future, and its Changshu investment symbolizes its acknowledgment of that need.

## Author
James is a former staff writer for The Drive. He has changed the conversation around electrification, debunked misinformation online, and become a prominent hunter of what he calls "automotive cryptids."

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/jamesgilboy>)