JLR opens EV test facility as it gears up for electric cars

LONDON --Jaguar Land Rover opened an electric vehicle test center in England as it ramps up efforts to bring new electric models to market and catch up with rivals.

The British luxury automaker, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, said earlier this year it will invest 15 billion pounds ($19 billion) over the next five years to develop EVs, with a new full-electric Jaguar coming in 2025.

The company has invested 250 million pounds ($304 million) in its new Future Energy Lab in Whitley as part of those plans, which include launching nine luxury EVs by 2030.

JLR said that by testing EVs on site it would minimize the cost of shipping prototype cars around the world for testing as well as the emissions associated with the process.