Behind the scenes of FREELANDER 8: Unveiling the Chery Group's Manufacturing Excellence

The world of electric vehicles is rapidly evolving, and at the forefront of this revolution is FREELANDER, the British Premium Intelligent All-Terrain Brand. As FREELANDER accelerates its global expansion, the brand is preparing for its highly anticipated debut in the Middle East, following the commencement of mass production. A crucial aspect of FREELANDER's long-term competitiveness lies not only in its innovative products but also in its manufacturing prowess. The Chery Jaguar Land Rover Changshu Manufacturing Base, with a total investment of over $3.1 billion, including an additional $440 million dedicated to NEV intelligent manufacturing upgrades, stands as a testament to the brand's commitment to excellence.

Located in Shanghai, this state-of-the-art facility is Jaguar Land Rover's first full-vehicle manufacturing plant outside the UK. It combines the premium manufacturing heritage of Jaguar Land Rover with Chery's advanced NEV technologies, providing the production capability, quality assurance, and flexibility required to support global markets. The FREELANDER Super Factory, as it is officially known, is designed to deliver consistent quality across different markets and customer expectations, integrating premium manufacturing standards with intelligent production capabilities.

The facility is a marvel of modern manufacturing, housing over 1,100 intelligent robots, with 1,054 units deployed across the welding workshop, achieving 100% automation. The chassis assembly accuracy is held to a remarkable tolerance of just 0.1 millimeters, ensuring outstanding production consistency. The facility's sophisticated manufacturing technologies, including integrated digital systems like SAP, MES, and Andon, along with its proprietary digital production platform, deliver full end-to-end quality traceability. This allows every production phase to be monitored, logged, and fully validated, guaranteeing uniform build quality and rigorous quality control standards.

Quality assurance at the Chery Jaguar Land Rover Changshu Manufacturing Base extends far beyond the production line. Every FREELANDER 8 undergoes comprehensive validation procedures before leaving the factory, including high-voltage battery sealing air-tightness inspections, ADAS calibration, electronic systems verification, and dynamic rain testing. This rigorous testing ensures that each vehicle is ready for diverse global driving environments, embodying FREELANDER's commitment to delivering products that are both engineered and tested for global customers.

Sustainability is another core pillar of the manufacturing system at the facility. The plant integrates intelligent energy management, water recycling systems, and low-carbon production technologies, paired with eco-friendly manufacturing workflows. These measures result in an air recirculation rate of 95%, VOC emissions of no more than 5mg/m³, and per-vehicle carbon output of 0.35 tonnes, underlining FREELANDER's dedication to sustainable and responsible manufacturing practices.

As FREELANDER prepares to launch in the Middle East, key journalists from leading media outlets have been given a firsthand look at the manufacturing capabilities supporting the brand's global expansion. Concurrently, FREELANDER 8 test vehicles have begun regional road testing across the Middle East, demonstrating the brand's commitment to delivering products that are both locally validated and globally engineered. The FREELANDER 8, built on the brand's core product pillars of British Craftsmanship, Smart Confidence, and All-Terrain Freedom, represents the next chapter in the legend reborn, designed for freedom seekers in the NEV era.