JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) owner Tata Motors is to invest an extra £1.5bn this year in the development of new products and technologies.
The company is targeting aggressive expansion in China as the popularity of cars such as the Merseyside-produced Range Rover Evoque continues to soar.
JLR now employs around 3,500 workers at its Halewood plant, producing the Evoque seven days a week.
Tata Motors says it is to double its annual investment in JLR development to £1.5bn as it looks to target emerging markets around the world.
The industrial giant said it had selected a partner to assemble cars in China. This will enable it to sell vehicles at competitive prices in a market that is emerging as one of the biggest outside Europe for its luxury brands.
“We are waiting for the necessary regulatory approvals for the China plant,” Tata Motors chief financial Officer C. Ramakrishnan said.
The extra investment was welcomed by Unite, the trade union that represents the company’s UK workforce.
Unite spokesman Roger Madison said: “Tata continues to out investment into the UK and it is clearly reaping the rewards of that.
“The order book is absolutely phenomenal.
“People at Halewood are working seven days a week to produce the Evoque and there is still a waiting list for people wanting to buy it.
“This extra investment is great news.”
