JAGUAR LAND ROVER ANNOUNCES NOODLE FROM BRITISH BAND GORILLAZ AS GLOBAL AMBASSADOR TO INSPIRE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERS

7 October 2016

  • Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s largest R&D investor, underscores its commitment to ‘Race To Innovate’ using the Formula E championship as a platform to develop the next generation of electric powered road cars and to inspire the next generation of engineers
  • Noodle to drive skills gap campaign inspiring young people to become future engineers and innovators and to join the @JaguarRacing crew

(MAHWAH, NJ) – October 7, 2016 – Today, Jaguar Land Rover announced its commitment to addressing the skills gap that manufacturing is facing worldwide by appointing Noodle, Japanese guitarist and founding member of virtual band Gorillaz, as global ambassador to inspire young people to pursue education and careers in technology and engineering.

Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s leading investor in Research and Development, plans to use its entry into Formula E to promote the company’s efforts to shape the future by solving the technology innovation and skills gap challenges.

Panasonic Jaguar Racing will spearhead a campaign that will help underline the important role Formula E will play in developing the next generation of electric vehicle technology. Noodle will help to highlight the opportunities this gives young people to get involved and be a part of the biggest change the car industry has ever seen – the electrication of vehicle powertrain technology.

Fiona Pargeter, Global PR Communications Director, Jaguar Land Rover, said, “By 2022 we’re facing a shortfall of 300,000 skilled engineers in the UK alone. It is our responsibility to change this future by inspiring young people. Yes we want to be successful on track, but Formula E can be a once in a generation opportunity to inspire the future generations of engineers. A global platform to inspire and attract young children to a career in innovation and engineering – through Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s partnership with Noodle we hope to inspire millions of young people to help invent the future.”

Noodle is the 21st Century Japanista and founding member of Gorillaz. The band has released five albums since 2000, selling in excess of 100 million records globally.

Talking about her new role as part of the @JaguarRacing team helping to inspire the next generation of young engineers, male and female, Noodle said, “The young minds of today are the engineers of tomorrow. We are in the driving seat and our imaginations are the fuel. It’s time to lead the charge and build a better world!”

Follow Noodle’s Instagram channel at Instagram.com/watashiwanoodle.

Further information

About Jaguar

Jaguar is a premier manufacturer of luxury sedans, sports cars and SUVs offering unparalleled design with tremendous performance. The company's vision throughout its storied history has been simple: To produce beautiful, fast cars that are desired the world over. Jaguar strives to provide a world class ownership experience to every owner. Today's Jaguar lineup consists of the Jaguar XE and  XF sports sedans, the XJ full-size luxury sedan, the two-seat F-TYPE sports car and the brand’s first-ever SUV, the F-PACE. Jaguar designs, engineers and manufactures exclusively in the United Kingdom, at the Castle Bromwich and Solihull manufacturing plants in the British Midlands. Jaguar is fully engaged with sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous involvement in environmental and community programs. For more information, visit the official Jaguar website at www.jaguarusa.com.
 

About Jaguar Land Rover

Jaguar Land Rover is the UK's largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands:  Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports sedan and sports car marques.

The company employs almost 40,000 people globally, with 330 in the U.S. and supports around 240,000 more through our dealerships, suppliers and local businesses. Manufacturing is centered in the UK, with additional plants in China, Brazil and India.

At Jaguar Land Rover we are driven by a desire to create class-leading products that deliver great customer experiences.  The largest investor in R&D in the UK manufacturing sector, we have invested £12 billion (USD$15.7 billion) in the last five years and in the current year alone will spend over £3 billion (USD$3.9 billion) on new product creation and capital expenditure. Last year Jaguar Land Rover sold 487,065 vehicles in 160 countries, with more than 80% of our vehicles produced in the UK being sold abroad.

About The Jaguar Land Rover Learning Academy

Through the Jaguar Land Rover Academy we provide a lifelong learning platform to tackle market challenges and future business requirements. Employees (current and future), of any age and background, can benefit from the Academy and develop their careers, from schools, apprentices and graduates to more experienced employees and ex-military personnel.

About Race To Innovate  

Panasonic Jaguar Racing has joined the grid in the FIA Formula E championship with a mission to Race To Innovate.  The team plans to write the next chapter of Jaguar’s racing heritage while engaging with a new generation of fans.  Jaguar aims to showcase its credentials for innovation in the automotive industry and inspire the next generation of engineering talent.

As we prepare for our FIA Formula E debut in Hong Kong, vote for Panasonic Jaguar Racing drivers @Adam Carroll or @Mitch Evans to win the first #FanBoost of the season here: http://fanboost.fiaformulae.com/

Notes to Editors

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