JLR forced to extend production shutdown 

And so JLR’s production freeze continues. The firm has today confirmed that it will not restart work at any of its factories until next month at the earliest. The announcement, made via a statement, coincided with a planned visit by MPs as the government faces pressure from trade unions to support a supply chain said to be close to collapse. 

‘Today we have informed colleagues, suppliers and partners that we have extended the current pause in production until Wednesday 1 October 2025, following the cyber incident,’ JLR explained. ‘We have made this decision to give clarity for the coming week as we build the timeline for the phased restart of our operations and continue our investigation.’ 

Much as it has done before, the stoppage was extended by another week, though as we’ve previously noted – and corroborated here by the JLR’s choice of words – it will not simply be a matter of turning a switch when the time comes. Any restart of its software infrastructure will need to be carefully phased, and will not begin in any shape or form until JLR concludes that its previous vulnerabilities have been remedied. 

This all takes considerable time and effort, and the suggestion – reported in numerous places by sources familiar with the matter – that the company might not resume anything like full production until November, still seems highly credible. Hence the understandable concern for workers external to JLR, but still very much reliant upon it. Accordingly, other companies in the supply chain will attend Tuesday’s meeting with government representatives to voice their frustration. 

“We have two priorities, helping Jaguar Land Rover get back up and running as soon as possible and the long-term health of the supply chain,” said industry minister Chris McDonald in a statement. “We are acutely aware of the difficulties the stoppage is causing for those suppliers and their staff, many of whom are already taking a financial hit through no fault of their own – and we will do everything we can to reassure them that the government is on their side.”

The trade union, Unite, has already insisted the government do more than listen, suggesting that a furlough scheme similar to those seen during Covid would be appropriate given the length of the shutdown. For now, JLR is understood to have taken the lead on supporting its supply chain, and again moved to reassure its wider operation. ‘Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and our retailers who remain open. We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience.’