Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed it has taken the first steps towards restarting its production following a devastating cyber attack that paralysed its systems and forced factory shutdowns throughout the country.
The UK’s largest carmaker announced that sections of its IT infrastructure are once again operational, allowing it to begin a "phased restart" of its business.
The development marks a turning point for JLR, which has faced mounting pressure from the Government, suppliers and customers since it began more than a month ago in August.
The attack resulted in an immediate pause of production with the carmaker warning that it would not resume manufacturing until October 1.
A company spokesman said: "The foundational work of our recovery programme is firmly underway.
"We have significantly increased IT processing capacity for invoicing and are now working to clear the backlog of payments to our suppliers as quickly as we can."
The cyber attack left critical systems offline for weeks, causing delays across its supply chain and halting production at factories in Wolverhampton, Coventry and Halewood.
Suppliers reported mounting financial difficulties as invoices went unpaid, while retailers struggled to service vehicles without access to essential digital systems.
One of the most significant breakthroughs was the return to operation of JLR's Global Parts Logistics Centre.
The carmaker halted production for over a month following the cyber attack
| GETTYThe hub, which distributes vital components to service centres and dealerships across the UK and abroad, is now back online, the company revealed.
The update means that technicians can once again repair customer vehicles, addressing a growing backlog that had frustrated drivers.
In addition, JLR confirmed that its wholesale financial system has been restored, allowing the company to sell and register vehicles more quickly. Executives said this was "delivering important cash flow" at a time when the business urgently needs to stabilise operations.
"These are important initial steps as our dedicated teams continue to focus on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues and retailers," the spokesman added.
"We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience."
JLR employs more than 30,000 people
| GETTYLATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The phased restart comes as ministers step up their involvement in the crisis.
Earlier today, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged to work "very closely" with JLR and its supply chain, with the Government stating that it was" doing everything we can" to support one of the UK's largest employers with a workforce of more than 30,000.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle also visited JLR in the West Midlands this week, meeting both executives and suppliers.
Officials said the Government's focus was on getting production restarted as quickly as possible, with fears that a prolonged shutdown could weaken the UK's car industry at a sensitive moment.
Ms Reeves shared: "It's a company I know well. It's a company the Prime Minister knows well. The National Cyber Security Centre has been in with Jaguar Land Rover since the start of this cyber attack."
Jaguar Land Rover has begun resuming production following a cyber attack
| JLRThe cyber attack had been claimed by an English-speaking hacking collective also linked to breaches at Marks and Spencer.
Cybersecurity experts explained that the group may have gained access to sensitive data, although JLR has not confirmed whether customer information was compromised.
"Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and our retailers. We thank everyone for their continued support and patience," the JLR spokesman shared.