Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will stop sourcing petrol engines from Ford’s Bridgend plant in Wales earlier than expected. The move means that JLR engine supply from Bridgend will now end in September 2020 – three months earlier than planned – and raises uncertainty over an estimated 1,100 jobs.

“We have informed our unions that Jaguar Land Rover intends to end our petrol engine supply arrangement slightly earlier than expected in late 2020,” Ford said in a statement.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

As well as Ford engines, the plant currently makes V6 and V8 engines for JLR.

After 2020, when the JLR contract ends, the number of engines being made on the site will be just a quarter of present production levels. Tata-owned JLR has invested in a new engine plant at Wolverhampton, which will likely make a replacement inline 6-cylinder engine derived from its Ingenium engine programme. On the upside, that will add to jobs there.

The GMB union reacted quickly to the Bridgend news, which it described as ‘devastating’. It demanded an urgent meeting with the Wales Government Cabinet Secretary, Ken Skates, to discuss how best safeguard jobs in the motor industry.

See Also:

Jeff Beck, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “The news we most feared been announced in Bridgend today. Unless alternate contracts are found, this will have a devastating and far reaching impact on the communities in and around Bridgend as well as across South Wales as a whole.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“We will be working alongside our colleagues in Unite and the Welsh Government to find alternative work for the plant.”

See also: UPDATED – Ford’s Bridgend engine plant; the anatomy of its decline