Jaguar Land Rover has deployed more than 160 vehicles worldwide to support emergency response organisations during the coronavirus crisis. Of those, almost 60 are heading for the British Red Cross, and 27 of those are new Land Rover Defenders.
The 57 vehicles headed for the British Red Cross will deliver medicine and food to vulnerable people across the UK who need extra support due to social distancing rules. Meanwhile the Jaguar Land Rover representatives in Spain, France, South Africa and Australia have loaned cars to their Red Cross organisations.
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Jaguar Land Rover teams in other markets, meanwhile, have offered to help their local aid teams with donations of vehicles. The cars - particularly the Defenders - are available to use because the company has had to postpone press and customer events related to the Defender launch.
At the same time, the company says it is working closely with the UK government, offering 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. Similarly, the company is also donating protective equipment to the NHS, including wraparound safety glasses headed for the Royal Bolton Hospital, St James’s Hospital in Leeds and Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Finbar McFall, Jaguar Land Rover’s customer experience director, said the company was using its age-old partnership with the Red Cross to help people and communities during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The health and safety of our employees, customers and their families remains our priority,” he said. “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.”
Meanwhile Simon Lewis, the head of crisis response at the British Red Cross, said the vehicles loaned to the organisation by Jaguar Land Rover would help to support the most vulnerable people in society.
“This unprecedented global health emergency requires us all to pull together,” he said. “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.”
Gallery: Jaguar Land Rover donates cars to the Red Cross