The COVID-19 / CoronaVirus pandemic has been proven to have a notoriously quick infection rate and the virus has now affected more than 5 million people worldwide. As of today, there is no successful vaccine against COVID-19 and simple hygiene techniques and new social distancing policies are the only methods that one can use to contain and prevent the virus spread.
To stop the further spread of the virus, countries around the world imposed a mandatory lockdown and all vehicle manufacturers had temporarily suspended all operations and production, but as things start to clear authorities have now permitted manufacturers to resume operations under the stringent new guidelines that have now become a new normal.
Jaguar Land Rover has, in the same way, resumed operations and the brand has announced that the first Range Rover under the new social distancing measures has rolled off their production line at Jaguar Land Rover’s production facility in Solihull, UK.
The brand has employed a number of techniques such as effective social distancing, monitoring temperature using thermal cameras and implementation of new protocols have been put in place to ensure the safety of its employees. The employees have to complete an online clinical questionnaire, signing up to a health and wellbeing charter and asked to monitor their own body temperature at home before coming for the shift.
At the facility employees maintain 2 meters distance wherever possible, use personal protective equipment and the brand has employed enhanced cleaning services of the plant along with one way systems. The brand is also offering every employee a reusable face visor made by the company.
The Solihull plant is the size of a small town and is spread over 300 acres which include six Build Halls (2 x Trim & Final, 1x Paint, 2 x Body in White, 1 x Press). Areas, where social distancing measure is not possible, such as where the bumper installation area the employees receive appropriate PPE kits to complete this stage of manufacturing.
Production of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles have also resumed at Nitra (Slovakia) and Graz (Austria). The brand has also resumed building the Ingenium engine again at Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton (UK). The brand will also be resuming manufacturing process at Halewood (UK) on 8 June, starting with one shift and minimal business-critical activity has started taking place at Castle Bromwich as the brand preps to bring new Model Year vehicles in the near future.