- West Midlands Gigafactory welcomes Labour’s new electric vehicle plan to support the development of a network of Gigafactories across the UK, including one in the West Midlands
- The UK lags behind the rest of the world in the global Gigafactory race and the creation of a network of Gigafactories across the UK will be strategically important to secure the UK’s net zero ambitions.
The West Midlands Gigafactory joint venture welcomed Labour’s plan to accelerate electric vehicle manufacturing with a network of Gigafactories, including the one planned in the West Midlands. The plan reinforces the vital role that the West Midlands Gigafactory has to play in the UK future electrified ecosystem.
The UK is developing a world-leading offer across the clean growth economy with opportunities across renewable energy, zero-emission vehicle technologies, sustainable consumption and infrastructure. It is the first major economy to adopt a legally binding obligation to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Currently, the UK lags behind the rest of the world in the global Gigafactory race and the creation of a network of Gigafactories across the UK will be strategically important to secure the UK’s net zero ambitions.
However, the right market conditions need to be created to ensure that global battery manufacturers consider the UK a location for their next investment and the plan outlined by the Labour party would be a significant step towards achieving this.
Richard Moore, West Midlands Gigafactory Battery Strategy Expert said, “With demand for battery manufacturing increasing, Gigafactories, such as the one planned here in the West Midlands, will be vital to deliver the industrial and economic growth and ensure that the UK remains globally competitive.”
“In the UK, for the automotive industry alone, demand for electric vehicle battery manufacturing capacity is expected to reach 200GWh by 2040. This is just the beginning and there is a huge energy storage market available and West Midlands Gigafactory is well-placed to support this support.”
“We have the location, people and supply chain expertise developed in the automotive and battery sectors over many years to make us the perfect location for a Gigafactory. Now, we need to make sure that the UK has the right conditions to attract battery manufacturers to invest here.”
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry City Council said, “As we stand at the dawn of a new electric age, we want the UK, and Coventry, to lead the green industrial revolution which will power the future of the country.
“The West Midlands Gigafactory, alongside our broader local ambitions including the Very Light Rail programme, will put Coventry at the front of the green industrial revolution bringing significant investment and creating jobs for local people across our city.
“The West Midlands Gigafactory is vital if we are to realise our ambitions for Coventry and Warwickshire to be at the heart of an emerging industry that can help power our local economy into the future. Today’s announcement highlights that our local actions and investment are influencing the future industrial policy in the UK.”
The West Midlands Gigafactory is the only site in the UK with planning permission in place for a Gigafactory with capacity for 60GWh per annum and has the potential to become Britain’s largest battery manufacturing facility. It is right in the epicentre of the UK automotive industry and skills required and so perfectly positioned to help put Britain at the forefront of the electrification revolution.
The site is perfectly located at the heart of the UK’s manufacturing industry in the West Midlands with access to world-class skills, talent and supply chain capabilities in the region. It benefits from a strong transport infrastructure for the future Gigafactory’s logistics requirements, supply chain and access for up to 6,000 employees.
About West Midlands Gigafactory
West Midlands Gigafactory’s mission is to create the UK’s largest battery Gigafactory in the heart of the UK automotive industry. A battery Gigafactory is a strategically crucial investment for the region and the UK. It will play a major role in securing the future of the automotive industry.
The goal is to help drive the world’s transition to sustainable energy through electric vehicles by supplying advanced lithium-ion batteries. At full capacity, the Gigafactory will be able to produce up to 60GWh – enough to power 600,000 electric vehicles per year – and will be ready for production in 2025.
It will be one of the largest industrial facilities of any kind in the UK. The project will inject a £2.5bn investment into the region and create up to 6,000 new highly skilled jobs directly and thousands more in the supply chain.
West Midlands Gigafactory is a public private joint venture partnership between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport Ltd. It has support from a unique alliance of West Midlands industrial groups, local government, and academic institutions. This alliance includes the West Midlands Combined Authority, Warwick District Council, Warwickshire County Council, Rugby Council, Warwick Manufacturing Group at University of Warwick, Coventry University, and the Manufacturing Technology Centre.
For more information, go to https://www.ukgigafactory.com/.