Earlier this week, the first-ever Range Rover made under new social distancing measures drove off the production line at JLR’s manufacturing facility in Solihull.

The carmaker has put in place effective social distancing, hygiene and health monitoring measures for its production lines, engineering facilities, office areas and communal spaces, following the temporary pause in production due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safety measures include temperature checks with thermal cameras, a two-meter distance between employees whenever possible, personal protective equipment like reusable face visors made by the company, the introduction of one-way systems and enhanced cleaning.

“Seeing the first Range Rover come off our line today is a defining moment for Jaguar Land Rover, for all of us who work for the company and the many businesses in our supply chain. It marks the end of our temporary shutdown and signals the beginning of a return to normality. But, of course, this is a new normal,” said JLR manufacturing exec, Grant McPherson.

“People will be experiencing many emotions, ranging from worry about hygiene to relief at being able to return to work and excitement at seeing colleagues again. The health and wellbeing of our employees has been our primary concern in the build-up to this point. Throughout the coming months, I know that as a team we will do all we can to ‘Stay safe. Be kind. Stay well’.”

The British carmaker has resumed production of both Jaguar and Land Rover models this week at its Nitra (Slovakia) and Graz (Austria) facilities. Last week, its Engine Manufacturing Center in Wolverhampton (UK) began building Ingenium engines again, while manufacturing at Halewood (UK) is scheduled to restart on June 8.