Exclusive: Tata Motors likely to make Tamil Nadu a hub for JLR EVs 

Tata Motors, India’s largest automobile company by revenue is likely to produce Jaguar Land Rover electric vehicles out of its proposed plant in Tamil Nadu.  

The company which had signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government to invest Rs 9000 crore in the state, is likely to put up an electric vehicle plant with a minimum capacity of 2 lakh units. The plant is likely to come up at Ranipet, say sources.

Autocar India learns that the manufacturing line of 2 lakh units is planned for the first phase for producing EMA architecture-based electric vehicles for both Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors, and eventually, the capacity can be further scaled up. 

The volume is likely to be distributed two-thirds for Jaguar Land Rover and one-third for Tata Motors and the predominant part of JLR output is likely to be used for the overseas markets.

"As a policy and practice, we don't comment on speculation," a Tata Motors spokesperson said in an email. 

A move to make India a critical manufacturing base happens at a time when the India-UK FTA is progressing and is likely to be concluded soon, thereby making the upcoming plant a critical base for the exchange of cars.

Alternatively, Autocar India also learns that beyond EV manufacturing for JLR, the Tata Group is looking at the possibility of moving some of the internal combustion engine model production of Jaguar Land Rover into India. 

Given the demands of EU and UK legislation - which may pose a challenge of producing internal combustion engines and potential carbon emissions emanating out of them, Tata Group is looking at an alternative manufacturing base for JLR in the country.

All three manufacturing bases are being looked at Pune, Sanand and the upcoming plant in Tamil Nadu. 

Tata Group has committed Rs 1.5 lakh crore investment in Jaguar Land Rover for the coming decade, wherein it is transitioning the Jaguar into an all electric brand, whereas the majority of the Land Rover portfolio is likely to be an electric alternative by 2026.

Jaguar Land Rover posted its highest-ever retail sales in recent years with sales of 4.33 lakh units growing by over 22%.

Autocar Professional had exclusively reported earlier this year, that a project that may entail a multi-billion pound investment in the future – will be used for at least four models each from Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover over the coming decade. The potential volume of the project is envisaged to be roughly 3 lakh units, which is planned to be predominantly exported – with a very small share earmarked for the domestic market in India.  

As a run-up to these conversations, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd (its electric vehicle subsidiary) and Jaguar Land Rover had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the licensing of JLR’s Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA) platform for a royalty fee (including electrical architecture, electric drive unit, battery pack and manufacturing know-hows) for the development of Tata’s upcoming born-electric vehicles in November.

JLR had first announced the born-electric EMA architecture back in 2021 that’s to spawn the next-generation Velar, Evoque and Discovery Sport. Of these, the Velar will be the first to arrive and is due for its debut by late 2024. Jaguar Land Rover’s EMA platform will be designed from the outset to accommodate advanced driver assistance systems and extensive cloud connectivity. JLR claims it will be capable of communicating with other cars and infrastructure, such as traffic control networks. The EMA platform is “engineered around the battery” with its flat floor allowing for maximum interior space. It will also be able to accommodate batteries of different chemistries.

In addition, the platform claims it has provisions for Software Over The Air (SOTA), Level 2+ autonomy and Feature Over The Air (FOTA) capabilities. The EMA platform will feature a highly integrated propulsion system with cell-to-pack battery technology, battery management and a charging system. Further, the platform will also be eligible for 5-star safety rating and ultrafast charging technologies for high performance vehicles.

JLR’s EMA architecture to be localised

When the first batch of vehicles based on the EMA platform goes into production from late 2024 onwards, it will initially be produced at JLR’s Halewood plant in the UK. Originally opened by Ford, the plant is already undergoing a conversion for production of battery electric vehicles. However, with the Avinya series of models that’s due from 2025, Tata Motors will be localising the EMA architecture here in India to keep costs competitive while still bearing a premium positioning.

This is the second major joint project announced by Tata Motors and JLR. The Harrier and Safari SUVs are based on the Jaguar Land Rover Freelander D8 platform. However, the partnership on the EMA for a full vehicle development program is a major step up in the level of collaboration between Tata Motors and JLR.