Britain is said to be in talks with six companies about building gigafactories that produce electric car batteries. The government is hoping to secure the future for the nation’s car industry by getting further involved with the electric vehicle market.
This news came from the Financial Times, which reported that carmakers Ford and Nissan, along with start-ups Britishvolt and InoBat Auto, and tech groups LG and Samsung are all in talks with the government.
This is good news for the future of the car industry because mobility is, and will be, changing radically in the coming years, especially with the ban on the sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2030. The government and the car industry understand that change needs to happen soon to help secure its future.
A spokesperson for the UK business department told the newspaper the government are dedicated to securing the gigafactories. They will continue to work closely with vehicle manufacturers and investors to progress the plans to mass-produce batteries in the UK.
Currently, there are 38 gigafactories planned across Europe, according to the green campaign group, Transport and Environment. Only Britishvolt’s project has been disclosed in the UK, according to the FT.
Ford have indicated they would be interested in making electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the UK to ship over to Turkey, where it’s producing its new electric Transit van. The newspaper also said that Nissan are talking with the government about plans to build batteries at its Sunderland Plant.
As for LG and Samsung, they’re in talks with the government about investments. Apparently, they’re only likely to move forward if they have deals with major manufacturers.
If the gigafactories happen this would be a great way of securing the future of the British motor industry, help with economic growth and provide jobs.
