Several reports have confirmed that Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors is weighing the benefits of building an assembly plant in Saudi Arabia due to the country’s construction of what is to be the world’s largest aluminum manufacturing facility.
Several reports have confirmed that Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors is weighing the benefits of building an assembly plant in Saudi Arabia due to the country’s construction of what is to be the world’s largest aluminum manufacturing facility.
The plant may be more accurately described as an all-inclusive mega-facility, capable of mining, refining and producing finished aluminum, all in one location. The plant will go live in 2014 and is expected to produce the least-expensive aluminum in the world. Cheap aluminum is very appealing to Tata Motors as it uses the expensive material for their new Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque chassis, and will likely increase its usage in future models.
"Taking a really long-term view, if we put an assembly plant [in Saudi Arabia] with a large press shop, given our commitment to aluminum in our products, we could have an interesting business case which we are examining today,” said Ratan Tata, CEO of Tata Motors.
The redesigned 2013 Range Rover has been lauded for its use of an all-new aluminum chassis and body which reduces the vehicle’s weight by nearly 700lbs. The use of an aluminum chassis follows a design model set forth by Land Rover’s new Range Rover Evoque which has used aluminum components to reduce weight, increase fuel economy and reduce emissions.
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