Jaguar Land Rover has deployed over 300 vehicles globally to support emergency response organisations during the coronavirus crisis.
A total of 164 vehicles have been issued to the British Red Cross to deliver medicine and food to vulnerable people across the UK who now need additional support due to social distancing rules. They will also be used as patient transport for those needing to get to and from hospital.
Jaguar Land Rover teams in Spain, France, South Africa and Australia have loaned vehicles to their Red Cross societies and more markets are offering help to their local teams. This service is being provided with fleets of vehicles now available due to the postponement of launch events.
Jaguar Land Rover is working closely with the UK Government and has offered its research and engineering expertise, as well as digital engineering and design, printing of 3D models and prototypes, machine learning, artificial intelligence and data science support.
Protective equipment is being donated to the NHS, including wraparound safety glasses to the Royal Bolton Hospital, St James’s Hospital in Leeds and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover Customer Experience Director, said, “The health and safety of our employees, customers and their families remains our priority. Jaguar and Land Rover will do everything we can to support people in need around the world. Our partnership with the Red Cross goes back 65 years and we will work hand in hand with them to do all we can during this global health emergency. We will also provide help to those closer to home in our local communities. We can all play a part in helping the vulnerable during this global pandemic.”
Simon Lewis, Head of Crisis Response, British Red Cross, said, “This unprecedented global health emergency requires us all to pull together. As part of the British Red Cross response to Coronavirus, we’re delving deep into the heart of communities across the UK to help strengthen support for the most vulnerable people through delivering essential food parcels and medicines to those unable to get out.
“We have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown across the country, not only by our increasing number of volunteers, but also our longstanding partners. Thanks to Land Rover’s generous support, our Emergency Response teams in the UK will be to reach even more people living in isolated communities than we could alone.”
In addition, 14 Jaguar Land Rover vehicles are being used by West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust to test staff isolating with Coronavirus symptoms; Land Rover Discoverys have been provided to Prometheus Medical UK to support home testing for Coronavirus on behalf of the British Heath Authority; and Jaguar Land Rover has started production and delivery of NHS-approved protective visors with the ambition to produce 5000 a week in the UK.
