In September, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) experienced a five-week shutdown of its factories due to a cyber-attack, resulting in a more than 25% decline in car production in the UK. JLR’s facilities did not manufacture any vehicles during the month, as the cyber-attack triggered a halt in its global manufacturing operations, impacting all three of its UK plants.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), overall car production in the UK fell by 27%, with just over 51,000 units produced, marking the lowest output for any September since 1952. The impact of the JLR shutdown was significant, as other manufacturers reported stable production figures for the same period.
The cyber-attack is estimated to have economic implications of approximately £1.9 billion, making it a highly damaging event in UK history, according to recent research. The Cyber Monitoring Centre identified that around 5,000 businesses were affected, with a full recovery anticipated by January 2026. JLR indicated that production at its sites in Solihull, Wolverhampton, and Halewood would resume in a phased manner.
As the second-largest car producer in the UK after Nissan, JLR’s shutdown contributed to an overall reduction in vehicle production, which declined by 35.9% compared to the previous year. Exports also dropped, decreasing by 24.5%, with the EU, US, Turkey, Japan, and South Korea as the primary markets.
Government ambitions to boost domestic car production to 1.3 million vehicles annually may be jeopardized if tax breaks for Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS) are revoked. Industry leaders have called for urgent interventions to enhance competitiveness and support the supply chain.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgmp1prnv0o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss