Jaguar Land Rover Restarts Production After Major Cyberattack Disruption
LONDON — Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), owned by India’s Tata Motors, has officially begun restarting its production facilities after a massive Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack forced weeks of shutdown across its UK factories.
The company announced a phased restart plan, beginning with key engine and battery operations, along with partial reopening of its body and paint shops.
Impact of the Jaguar Land Rover Cyberattack on Production
The Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack halted all three of the company’s manufacturing plants in Britain, which collectively produce about 1,000 vehicles per day. The production stoppage caused significant economic ripple effects across the country’s automotive sector.
Economists had warned that a prolonged shutdown could hurt UK manufacturing output, especially since JLR is one of the largest luxury car exporters.
Financial Assistance and Supplier Support
To protect smaller auto parts suppliers impacted by the Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack, the company announced a plan to provide up-front cash payments during the restart phase. Previously, suppliers were paid on a 60-day post-invoice schedule, but now qualifying suppliers will be paid shortly after placing orders.
JLR also secured a £1.5 billion loan guarantee from the UK government in September to help stabilize its supply chain.
Business Minister Peter Kyle said that the government’s priority is ensuring long-term recovery for JLR and its network of over 180,000 manufacturing jobs.
High-Profile Hacks Raise Cybersecurity Concerns
The Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack is part of a growing wave of sophisticated digital assaults targeting major corporations. Earlier this year, British retailer Marks & Spencer suffered a similar breach, losing around £300 million after being forced to close its online operations for two months.
Last month, a ransomware attack on check-in systems also left passengers stranded at major European airports, showing how widespread the cybersecurity threat has become.
CEO Acknowledges Challenges, Plans for Recovery
JLR CEO Adrian Mardell called it a “challenging quarter,” as wholesale and retail volumes dropped 24.2% and 17.1% respectively, due to the production stoppage and other global factors including U.S. tariffs and the planned phase-out of older Jaguar models.
Despite the setbacks, Mardell emphasized that JLR remains committed to innovation and resilience. “Our immediate priority is restoring operations and supporting our partners who were impacted by the Jaguar Land Rover cyberattack,” he said.
Return to Work and Future Outlook
Starting Wednesday, JLR’s engine and battery divisions resumed work, followed by vehicle assembly lines for Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models at its Solihull plant later in the week.
The phased restart will see many of the company’s 33,000 employees return to work, marking an important step toward normalcy after one of the most serious cyber incidents in the company’s history.
