JLR to Run 24-hour shift at Halewood plant to meet demand for Evoque

Jaguar Land Rover will now run a 24-hour production line at its Halewood facility to cope with the demand for its top-selling SUV the Evoque. The facility will now run three shifts with the night phase beginning at 9.30 pm.  This is the first time in the factory’s 50 year history that the production has gone into overtime. 

The increase in demand has been attributed to the global success of the Evoque, which has seen a total of 88,000 orders since its launch in July 2011. The highest demand for the SUV has been from the newer car markets including China where over 12,000 cars have been sold. The company is expected to rake in 1.5 billion GBP in profits. 

Thanks to the 24 hour production cycle, the factory is now employing over 4500 persons, thrice the number from three years ago. The effect of this increase will also be seen on vendors and suppliers who will most likely increase their production cycles and hire more people. The move will also come as a booster for the British car industry which has been something of a dead horse over the last few years.