Jaguar Land Rover, which employs some 15,000 people in Britain, has so far avoided the lengthy shutdowns that some other carmakers have used to save money and run down stock. Japanese carmaker Honda had closed its plant at Swindon for three months.

The company has instead taken measures such as extending the Christmas break to two weeks, switching to a four-day week and laying off around 2,000 temporary employees.

Jaguar Land Rover is also trying to convince the government to provide a loan guarantee that would unlock a $550 million advance from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The EIB cannot dispense the cash until Britain agrees to repay it if Jaguar Land Rover goes under.