Jaguar Land Rover to restart production imminently after cyber attack

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed it will restart production tomorrow (8 October) after more than a month of suspended operations due to a cyber attack that hit the company on 1 September.

Operations will begin first at JLR's engine factory in Wolverhampton and its battery facility in Birmingham. Its stamping operations in Castle Bromwich, Halewood and Solihull will then resume operations as well, including the Solihull plant's body shop, paint shop and logistics centre.

International operations will follow, with manufacturing at JLR's facility in Nitra, Slovakia due to resume this week.

JLR has not yet confirmed when production at its Halewood facility, which produces the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport, is due to restart. The plant is currently undergoing renovation to produce the firm's upcoming electric line-up.

In its statement released today (7 October), JLR also confirmed it will set up a new financing scheme to support "qualifying" suppliers ahead of the production restart. According to the firm, these suppliers will be paid "much faster than under their standard payment terms, aiding their cashflow in the near term."

While the incident was ongoing, suppliers were facing serious financial troubles, with some reported by the BBC to be facing bankruptcy as a result of the disruption.

It was announced last week that the Government will underwrite a £1.5 billion loan supplied by a commercial bank to support JLR's supply chain. JLR will repay the loan over a period of five years.

Adrian Mardell, Chief Executive Officer of JLR, said, "From tomorrow, we will welcome back our colleagues at our engine production plant in Wolverhampton, shortly followed by our colleagues making our world‑class cars at Nitra and Solihull.

"Our suppliers are central to our success, and today we are launching a new financing arrangement that will enable us to pay our suppliers early, using the strength of our balance sheet to support their cashflows."

This comes more than a full month after the cyber attack hit Jaguar Land Rover on 1 September, compromising some of its data. As a result, all systems were shut down and staff were asked to stay at home.

In the days following the attack, Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters – the group who carried out the cyber attack on retailer Marks & Spencer in May – claimed responsibility for the JLR hack.

JLR operates the largest supply chain in the UK automotive sector, according to the Government, with some 150,000 employees. Indeed, the hack is estimated to have cost the firm £50 million per week while operations were halted.

Customers are still able to book in for a service at JLR dealerships as normal. Previously, dealerships were unable to order in new parts and were relying on the parts they already have in stock. However, one dealership told us that the majority of new parts can now be ordered in – though there may be some delays as a result of the disruption.

What should I do if I need to book my JLR product in for service?

Dealerships are still open for service bookings. While they were previously unable to complete full repairs due to the systems being down, we were told that the majority of new parts can now be ordered – though customers might experience some delays.

If you are due a service or need your Jaguar or Land Rover repaired, it’s advised that you book in with a dealership sooner rather than later in the case that certain parts are delayed.

Can I still buy a new Land Rover?

JLR is now able to digitally register and sell new cars, which means it is still possible to purchase a new Land Rover. Previously, it had been manually registering cars via telephone with the DVLA.

While customers were previously directed to browse in-stock products on Land Rover's website, they have now regained the option to build their own order.

Jaguar ended production of its current vehicle range at the end of last year, as it prepares for a wholesale relaunch of the brand, beginning with a production version of the Jaguar Type 00 concept.

What does the cyber attack mean for JLR customers?

JLR is still investigating what data was breached in the attack, and it has stated it will contact any customers who have been affected directly.

However, customers are advised to keep an eye on their accounts in case their data was accessed. The company’s owner, Tata Motors, said in a statement that data may have been stolen or viewed, but according to the BBC, it’s not known if that data relates to customers, Jaguar Land Rover itself, or its suppliers.

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