- Jaguar dealerships have closed order books entirely for the next 12 months
Jaguar’s boss has defended the car maker’s decision to stop producing and selling new cars for a year ahead of its bold transition to electric vehicles.
The British brand has ceased output of all petrol and diesel models for the first time since the Second World War as it terminates its 102-year relationship with the internal combustion engine.
This comes ahead of its switch to battery power from 2026 and its dealers closed order books to new customers last week, leaving Jaguar with no new cars on sale.
Managing director Rawdon Glover this week said the 12-month hiatus from the market has always been part of a ‘strategic decision’ and is ‘not a mistake’, with Jaguar wanting a ‘fire break’ period for dealers and customers to prepare for its electric rebrand.
Jaguar is now completely reliant on its used car retail network to see it through the next 12 months.
Jaguar managing director Rawdon Glover (pictured) has defended the company’s move to not sell any new cars for 12 months as it prepares to become an EV-only luxury brand from 2026
Last week, Jaguar’s entire dealership network closed order books to new customers
While many car manufacturers have pumped the brakes on their ambitions to go electric this decade, Jaguar is bucking the trend.
Its headstrong approach will gather pace next month when it unveils a concept version of the first all-new EV it will unveil fully before the end of next year.
In preparation, it has already wound up making existing models, with the British-built XE and XF saloons, and F-Type sports car ceasing production in June.
E-Pace assembly also wrapped up at the end of the summer, while a JLR spokesperson confirmed to This is Money in October that Jaguar had also stopped making right-hand drive F-Pace SUVs for the UK market.
Output of its only electric car, the I-Pace – which was built in Graz, Austria, in the same plant where E-Pace was made – have also halted, though some new models remain available to corporate customers until early 2025.
It means Jaguar has halted all car outputs for the first time since WW2.
Jaguar ceased outputs of all petrol and diesel models ahead of its switch to electric power
Production of right-hand-drive F-Pace SUVs wound up in October
Glover said the year-long exit from the new car market was part of a scheduled ‘fire break’
Next Tuesday, Jaguar bosses will shine some light on the marque’s new brand identity and how it will tackle the business’ dramatic shift change.
Ahead of the announcement, Glover said the year-long exit from the new car market was part of a scheduled ‘fire break’ to ‘give customers and dealers the chance to reset as we move towards this new era for the brand,’ according to Car Dealer Magazine.
In a statement given to Autocar last week, a Jaguar spokesperson said: ‘From November 2024, new Jaguar sales will come to an end ahead of our new brand reveal later this year and product launch in 2026.
‘While we have now ceased allocation of our current generation of Jaguar vehicles, we do have a selection of models available to acquire on an approved pre-owned basis through our UK retail network.’
This is Money has approached Jaguar for comment.
Jaguar’s decision to stop selling cars means it is now completely reliant on its used network
Many carmakers have pumped the brakes on electric ambitions, Jaguar is bucking the trend
Jaguar driving in a different direction to rivals
Jaguar’s decision to plough ahead with its electric transition is a major contrast to some of its biggest rivals.
Bentley last week became the latest to backtrack on its EV pledge, confirming it had delayed its plan to become an EV-only car firm by five years to 2035. It also said its first fully-electric car arriving in 2026 will not be a svelte luxury coupe but instead a large, premium SUV.
In September, Volvo announced it would not become an electric-only car brand from 2030, as it had previously promised.
The Swedish marque – which is now big competition for JLR in the premium vehicle segment – said it now aims for 90 to 100 per cent of its global sales to be either pure electric or plug-in hybrid by the end of the decade.
Bentley confirmed earlier this week that its plan to sell only EVs from 2030 would be delayed
Volvo Cars chief executive Jim Rowan (pictured) said in September that it had become clear that ‘customers and markets are moving at different speeds of adoption’ to electric cars
Luxury car maker Porsche also announced this autumn it was pushing back its plans as a result of the transition to EV taking longer than it thought.
It has watered down its aims for 80 per cent of sales to be all-electric by 2030 and went on to confirm it will continue to sell the existing Cayenne SUV with combustion engines into the next decade.
In recent months, Toyota has confirmed it will significantly reduce its EV production volumes for 2026, while Renault’s boss said car makers were not on the ‘right trajectory’ to go fully electric by 2035 – the EU’s proposed date to ban new petrol and diesel cars, which is five years later than the UK’s deadline.
Ford bosses in July said it will not go fully electric in 2030, despite claiming it would back in February 2021.
Aston Martin has also said it is delaying the launch of its first EV in response in declining demand for new electric cars.
The industry’s mass retreat on EV promises also comes against a backdrop of brands slashing their existing electric car prices in an effort to drum-up sales, announcements of extended lifecycles for petrol cars and some brands temporarily shutting down battery vehicle production lines due to a lack of demand.