Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack crisis: What we know as production set to restart this week
Although the crisis is far from over, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is marking a significant step forward this week with testing underway ahead of plans to restart production at its cavernous factory that sits along the M54 in the West Midlands.
There has been no official update from JLR since September 29 but its i54 site, near Junction 2 of the M54, was tipped to be the first factory to restart production, according to reports by the BBC, as the car maker said some of its operations would commence in a "controlled, phased restart" as it begins the recovery from a major cyber attack which has left production paused since the start of September.
All manufacturing was halted after hackers targeted the Coventry-headquartered firm at the end of August.
JLR recently extended the production pause until at least October 1 - impacting its factories in Halewood on Merseyside and Solihull in the West Midlands, as well as its Wolverhampton engine manufacturing site.
Although welcome news that it's beginning to turn a corner, the damage to the industry is likely to be lasting - and not only to the prestigious car manufacturer but also to its thousands of suppliers across the region and beyond.
Experts have warned the production shutdown could hit the group's bottom line by around £120 million, with the firm usually thought to build about 1,000 cars a day.
The pause has also left JLR's suppliers in limbo, leading to calls for urgent financial support.
Last week the Government announced it would underwrite a £1.5 billion loan guarantee to JLR to give suppliers some certainty over payments. The loan, from a commercial bank, will help to bolster JLR's cash reserves as it pays back companies in its supply chain, who have been majorly impacted by the shutdown.
Unions and politicians have raised fears that small suppliers producing parts for the car giant could collapse without financial support.
