Asian EV battery makers move into the UK in ‘shift towards electrification’
The West Midlands Gigafactory joint venture has confirmed that it is in talks with a number of Asian battery manufacturers about future investments.
Based in Coventry, which has been referred to as the UK’s ‘Motor City’ due to the number of vehicles produced there, the new site will allow manufacturers to develop, produce and recycle batteries for electric models.
Speaking at the Labour Party Conference, Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change at Coventry City Council stated the discussions show that other nations are willing to invest in UK industry.
He said: “I’m pleased to report that we are now in advanced discussions with leading Asian battery manufacturers who want to develop a presence in the UK.
“We hope, with the support of the UK Government, that we will secure an investor and further strengthen our region’s leadership credentials in the shift towards electrification.”
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With plans to produce it’s first batteries in 2025, the West Midlands Gigafactory is expected to create up to 6,000 jobs and, at fully capacity, be capable of creating enough batteries to power 600,000 EVs each year.
However, despite getting the green light to be built in January 2022, the creation of the gigafactory has not been without issues, with Jaguar Land-Rover’s owner Tata announcing it would be creating another site in Somerset to produce batteries for their models.
Nevertheless, West Midlands Gigafactory has already seen investment by a number of local councils, universities and manufacturing organisations.
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Cllr Jim O’Boyle added that investors of the upcoming gigafactory would receive additional incentives for helping to boost the UK’s switch to EV production.
He continued: “The West Midlands Gigafactory site in Coventry is a prime location offering future investors an all-in-one solution for battery manufacturing, research, industrialisation, and recycling.
“In addition, we are well-positioned to become an Investment Zone, which will deliver significant additional tax incentives and breaks for future investors.”
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