Jaguar Land Rover to resume production in ‘coming days’ after cyber shutdown

British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has said it will restart some manufacturing production in the “coming days” as it continues to deal with the fallout from a major cyber attack.

The group said some sections of its production operations will resume amid a “controlled, phased restart of our operations”, having paused all manufacturing since the start of the month after being targeted by hackers.

It said while there is “much more to do”, work to ensure its recovery is “firmly under way”.

A Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) spokesperson said: “As the controlled, phased restart of our operations continues, we are taking further steps towards our recovery and the return to manufacture of our world-class vehicles.

“Today we are informing colleagues, retailers and suppliers that some sections of our manufacturing operations will resume in the coming days.”

“We know there is much more to do but the foundational work of our recovery is firmly under way, and we will continue to provide updates as we progress,” they added.

JLR had recently extended the production pause until at least October 1 after its systems were hacked, impacting its factories in Halewood, on Merseyside, and Solihull in the West Midlands, and its engine manufacturing site in Wolverhampton.

Experts have warned the production shutdown could hit the group’s bottom line by around £120 million, with the firm thought to usually build about 1,000
cars a day.

The pause has also left its suppliers in limbo leading to calls for urgent financial support, with the Government announcing over the weekend it would underwrite a £1.5 billion loan guarantee to JLR to give suppliers some certainty over payments.

The loan, from a commercial bank, will help to bolster JLR’s cash reserves as it pays back companies in its supply chain, who have been majorly impacted by the shutdown.

Unions and politicians have raised fears that small suppliers producing parts for the car giant could collapse without financial support.

JLR has the largest supply chain in the UK automotive sector, which employs around 120,000 people and is largely made up of small and medium-sized businesses.

In the aftermath of the attack on August 31, ministers have been in contact daily with JLR and cyber experts, as the company attempts to restart production.

Downing Street welcomed JLR’s announcement, adding it had been “a concerning time for workers at Jaguar Land Rover and, of course, across the supply chain”.