Currently reading: Coronavirus: Jaguar Land Rover lends 160 cars to Red Cross, NHS
Fleet, including 27 new Defenders, will be used to help deliver food and supplies to elderly and vulnerable

Jaguar Land Rover is deploying more than 160 vehicles – including the new Land Rover Defender – globally for use by emergency response groups tackling the coronavirus outbreak.

The manufacturer has already given the British Red Cross access to 57 vehicles, including 27 Defenders, for delivering food and medicine to vulnerable and elderly people. Another 65 vehicles are supporting Red Cross efforts in Australia, France, South Africa and Spain.

JLR is also loaning vehicles to the National Health Service and emergency services to support local efforts and donating protective equipment including safety glasses to a number of NHS hospitals. It's aiming to deploy futher vehicles in the coming weeks.

The vehicles handed over to the Red Cross and NHS have been taken from the JLR press fleet and include Defenders intended for use on now-postponed launch events.

Simon Lewis, head of crisis response for the British Red Cross, said the “generous support” will allow its teams “to reach even more people living in isolated communities than we could alone”.

Like other UK manufacturers, JLR is working with the UK government to offer its expertise in a wide range of research, engineering and production areas. These include digital engineering and design, 3D model printing and prototypes, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Land Rover has a long relationship with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that dates back more than 65 years.

READ MORE

Review: New Land Rover Defender driven and rated

Land Rover SVO creates bespoke Red Cross Discovery

James Attwood

James Attwood, digital editor
Title: Acting magazine editor

James is Autocar's acting magazine editor. Having served in that role since June 2023, he is in charge of the day-to-day running of the world's oldest car magazine, and regularly interviews some of the biggest names in the industry to secure news and features, such as his world exclusive look into production of Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets. 

Join the debate

Comments
7
Add a comment…
Citytiger 2 April 2020

Well done JLR

a fantastic gesture also a great way to get the new Defender free attention, and possibly customers. 

xxxx 1 April 2020

JLR stepping up to the mark

Nice one JLR

si73 1 April 2020

The motor industry is doing a

The motor industry is doing a lot to help, so many are building ventilators, mask etc, it's amazing. I know that other industries are helping as well but obviously this is a motoring mag so it's the motor industry that I will aim praise at, well done JLR and all the other manufacturers helping all around the world.