Jaguar boss says no new cars sold for a year as part of ‘strategic decision’

Jaguar bosses have defended the carmaker’s decision to stop selling new cars for a year ahead of a bold transition to electric vehicles.

The British brand has stopped production of all petrol and diesel models for the UK market for the first time since World War II as it ends its 102-year association with the internal combustion engine.

This is before it switches to battery power from 2026 and the retailer closed its order book to new customers last week, leaving Jaguar with no new cars to sell for what it calls its ‘twilight period’.

When asked if it was a mistake to take a 12-month hiatus from the market, managing director Rawdon Glover said it was always part of a ‘strategic decision’, with Jaguar wanting a ‘fire break’ period for dealers and customers. preparing for its electrical rebrand.

Jaguar is now relying on its used car retail network to see through the next 12 months.

Jaguar director Rawdon Glover (pictured) has defended the company’s move to stop selling new cars for 12 months as it prepares to become an EV-only luxury brand from 2026.

Last week, the entire Jaguar dealer network closed their order books for new customers

While many car manufacturers have been pumping the brakes on their ambitions to go electric this decade, Jaguar is bucking the trend.

The aggressive approach will be accelerated next month when it unveils a concept version of the all-new EV that will be fully launched by the end of next year.

In preparation, it has finished making existing models for British customers, with the XE and XF saloons built in England, and the F-Type sports car finished in May.

Production of the largest model – the F-Pace – will continue in Solihull for the foreseeable future, but this will only be output for overseas markets. A spokesperson for the brand confirmed production of the UK spec is ending this month.

And while manufacturing continues for the compact SUV E-Pace and the electric car only – the I-Pace – in Graz, Austria, until the end of the year, the UK allocation has also sold out.

Jaguar says availability of the I-Pace continues but only to ‘corporate clients into 2025’.

This means Jaguar has stopped all car sales in the UK for the first time since WW2.

Jaguar is ending production of all petrol and diesel models before switching to electric power

Production of the right-hand-drive F-Pace SUV ended in October

Glover said the one-year exit from the new car market was part of a scheduled ‘fire break’.

Next Tuesday, Jaguar bosses will shed light on the marque’s new brand identity and how it will deal with the dramatic changes to the business.

Ahead of the announcement, Glover said the year-long exit from the new car market was part of a “fire break” scheduled to ‘give customers and dealers a chance to reset as we move into this new era for the brand,’ according to Car Dealer Magazine .

A Jaguar spokesperson told This Money: “As part of the planned sunset period for Jaguar vehicles today, sales of new cars in the UK have come to an end as we prepare to relaunch the Jaguar brand from December 2024.

“Ahead of Jaguar’s future collection, we deliberately created a breathing space where the new brand and vision could come to life.

‘UK clients will be able to purchase current Jaguar models on an approved basis through the UK retail network, and for existing Jaguar clients, service, repairs and warranty work will continue through the Jaguar authorized repairer network.’

Jaguar’s decision to stop selling the car means it is now heavily dependent on the network it uses

Many automakers have already pumped the brakes on their electric ambitions, Jaguar is following the trend

Jaguar is driving in a different direction than its competitors

Jaguar’s decision to move forward with the electric transition is a stark contrast to some of its biggest rivals.

Bentley last week became the latest to back away from its EV pledge, saying it had delayed plans to become an EV-only car company by five years to 2035. It also said its first electric car arriving in 2026 won’t be svelte. luxury coupe but instead of a large, premium SUV.

In September, Volvo announced that it would not be an electric-only car brand from 2030, as it had previously promised.

The Swedish marque – which is now a big competition for JLR in the premium vehicle segment – said it now aims for 90 to 100 percent of its global sales to be pure electric or plug-in hybrids by the end of the decade.

Bentley confirmed earlier this week that plans to sell only EVs from 2030 will be delayed

Volvo Cars chief executive Jim Rowan (pictured) said in September that it was clear that ‘customers and markets are moving at different speeds’ for electric cars.

Luxury carmaker Porsche also announced this fall that it will cancel its plans because the transition to EVs is taking longer than expected.

It has watered down the goal for 80 per cent of sales to be all-electric in 2030 and continues to confirm that it will continue to sell the existing Cayenne SUV with a combustion engine into the next decade.

In recent months, Toyota has confirmed it will significantly reduce EV production volumes for 2026, while Renault’s boss has said the carmaker is not on the ‘right track’ to be fully electric by 2035 – the date the European Union proposes to ban the cars new petrol and diesel. , which is five years later than the UK deadline.

Ford executives said in July that it would not go all-electric by 2030, although it said it would return by February 2021.

Aston Martin also said it is delaying the launch of its first EV in response to demand for new electric cars.

The industry’s massive retreat on EV promises also comes against a backdrop of brands slashing prices of existing electric cars in an effort to boost sales, announcements of longer life cycles for gasoline cars and some brands temporarily shutting down battery vehicle production lines due to shortages. of demand.