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Jaguarhasstoppedproductionofthelegendary XJ saloonasweknowit.
thecastle BromwichplantwasshutdownforsiXweeks, andhasBeenredeveloped
toBuilda newBreedofallelectricultimateluXury XJ JaguarJAGUAR MAKES A BOLD DECLARATION
THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING. THE XJ, JAGUAR’S FLAGSHIP LUXURY
sedan, is out of production. But it will soon be reborn as an electric car. Jaguar claims
the all-electric XJ will be the first of many new electric cars it will launch over the next
few years.
Jaguar hasn’t replaced the XJ since the X351 debuted in 2008, so the electric XJ will
help Jaguar leapfrog its rivals, and take its electrification plans to the next level.
Jaguar and sibling brand Land Rover have vowed to add an all-electric or hybrid
powertrain option to every model by 2020. So far, with the notable exception of the
I-Pace electric crossover, all of these new electrified models have been hybrids. A
second all-electric model will make a bigger impact.
Announcement of the electric XJ comes as Jaguar and Land Rover ramp up production
capacity for electric cars. In January it announced plans for a new 'electric drive
unit' factory in the UK. The Castle Bromwich factory is being converted to electric-car
production, and a new battery-production facility will come online in 2020. Jaguar was
eager to emphasise these investments in UK manufacturing at a time when jobs in the
industry are under threat from the planned Brexit split from the European Union.
Jaguar didn’t offer any details on the future electric XJ, or even state when the car will
go into production. It did discuss plans for a new platform called Modular Longitudinal
Architecture (MLA), which is designed to support petrol, diesel, hybrid and all-electric
cars. MLA which will also underpin future Land Rover models, could be used for the
next XJ.
Jaguar’s decision to make the next XJ electric is likely a response to two factors.
Stricter global emissions standards are forcing many automakers to adopt
electrification. The UK is considering banning sales of new internal-combustion cars by
2040, for example. In addition, many luxury automakers are introducing electric cars
in response to the success of Tesla. Jaguar is the first traditional manufacturer in the
world to produce an all electric model into its range via the I-Pace.EDITION 198 JAGUAR MAGAZINE
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