JLR is spending 65 million British pounds (just over $80 million at current exchange rates) on paint facilities to expand personalization options and make the paint process more sustainable.
The automaker said in a press release that it plans to open new paint facilities at assembly plants in Castle Bromwich, England, and Nitra, Slovakia. This will allow for 17,000 more custom paint orders per year, as well as expansion of personalized and low-volume paint options beyond the Land Rover Range Rover to other models.
JLR paint booth
A new paint shop at the Nitra plant—where the Land Rover Defender and Discovery are assembled—will allow for unlimited color options. It will also include electric curing ovens that will avoid approximately 551 tons of CO2 emissions per year, and a heat exchanger that will help the assembly plant avoid 2,250 tons of CO2 emissions, according to JLR. The new facility is scheduled to come online in 2026.
Upgrades to the Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) facilities in Castle Bromwich, which handle bespoke builds, due to be completed in 2025 include new paint booths that cut energy and water use, and employ the same fully automated spray robots used in higher-volume facilities to cut paint waste by 30%, according to JLR.
JLR paint inspection
In addition to tackling the considerable carbon footprint of paint shops—JLR claims they’re the biggest source of automotive manufacturing emissions, accounting for 80% of emissions from making cars—the upgrades will allow for more highly-profitable custom paint jobs. The automaker claims its paint matching service for the Range Rover SV, which allows customers to have their car painted to match any color they choose, typically adds about $87,000 on top of the $202,000 selling price of a Range Rover SV.
This has led other luxury brands to further emphasize personalization options. Mercedes-Benz recently announced an expansion of its Manufaktur personalization program, including a new customer studio inside its main manufacturing complex in Sindelfingen, Germany, to enhance the experience of ordering a bespoke car. Rolls-Royce is expanding its plant to build more bespoke luxury cars, while Bentley claims demand for its Mulliner personalization program is soaring.
