JLR seeking another $4 billion in emergency funds as production restarts

JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) is looking for an additional £2 billion ($A4.08bn) in funding on top of a British government-backed £1.5bn ($A3.06bn) loan after a cyber attack forced its factories to shut in August.

The British automaker has begun the hunt for the additional emergency funds to ease the pressure after losses – estimated at £50 million ($A102.4m) per week – stemming from its production halt.

According to Automotive News Europe, JLR has confirmed production will recommence “in the coming days” after it missed its previous target to begin building cars again on September 24. 

The British government-backed loan was intended to support the JLR workforce and the broader automotive industry by limiting the impact of delayed payments from JLR to its suppliers, with around 700 companies affected by the shutdown.

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As well as the temporary closure of four plants in the UK, JLR factories in Slovakia, Brazil and India were also forced to stop making cars as the company grappled with the fallout from the cyber attack.

While Jaguars were not being made – as the historic British brand plans its rebirth as an upmarket rival to Bentley and Porsche in 2026 – production of all Land Rover models has been paused.

The Land Rover Defender is made in Slovakia, while the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque are produced in the Solihull and Halewood plants in the UK, respectively. 

JLR is also expected to produce its yet-to-be-officially named ‘Baby Defender’ at its Merseyside plant in the UK from 2027.

The additional funding is, according to Automotive News Europe, intended to show that JLR has the financial liquidity to survive mounting revenue losses due to the issue. 

The attack came after significant losses due to a pause in exports to the US after the April 2 introduction of automotive tariffs, which were later compounded by so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’. 

JLR sold 94,994 Land Rover, Range Rover and Jaguar vehicles in the US last year, accounting for around one-fifth of its global sales. 

JLR stopped shipments of vehicles to the US as it worked out how to deal with volatile markets around the world, amid rapidly changing legislation that is impacting the global auto industry.

Production of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport in India began in 2025 – the first time they’d been made outside of Great Britain – but these vehicles faced even higher tariffs in the US than UK-built versions.

JLR Australia would not comment directly on the cyber attack, but it’s believed the debacle will have minimal impact on stock in Australian showrooms. 

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