Cyberattack Pushes Jaguar Land Rover into Record Losses
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has suffered what experts describe as the most financially damaging cyberattack in the history of the British automotive industry, with losses estimated at around £2 billion (€2.3 billion).
The company has spent more than six weeks restoring its operations after the early September attack brought production to a halt. The shutdown rippled far beyond JLR itself, affecting an estimated 5,000 suppliers and subcontractors across the United Kingdom.
Britain’s Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC) called the incident “the most economically destructive cyber event” ever recorded in the country. The agency warned that the total cost could rise further if JLR’s factories fail to resume full production on schedule.
Following the breach, the manufacturer was reportedly losing around £1.5 million (€1.75 million) each week. During the second quarter, JLR delivered just over 66,000 vehicles to dealerships, a drop of 24.2 percent compared with the same period last year. Sales fell across all major markets, including the UK, the United States, China and the Middle East.
To stabilise the business, the British government has pledged a £1.5 billion (€1.75 billion) loan guarantee to support the company’s recovery. By early October, JLR had begun gradually restarting production, beginning with two West Midlands plants and the stamping facilities at Castle Bromwich, Halewood and Solihull. Production of the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport resumed first in Solihull, signalling the slow but determined return of Britain’s biggest carmaker after its most turbulent setback in decades.
