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Birmingham Post
Birmingham Post
Business
Jonathan Walker

Mayor calls for 'gigafactory' to make electric vehicle batteries

The mayor of the West Midlands is calling for a giant factory to be built in the region to manufacture electric batteries.

Andy Street said he wanted to see a facility constructed akin to the hub currently under construction in the Nevada desert which stretches to 1.9 million sq ft - known as a 'gigafactory'.

The plant would be used to make batteries powering the next generation of electric vehicles, spearheaded in the West Midlands by Jaguar Land Rover's renewed investment in the technology.

Mr Street was speaking after the Government announced it was providing a £500 million loan guarantee to JLR.

The luxury car brand announced two weeks ago that it would be manufacturing three new electric vehicles from its Castle Bromwich factory in north Birmingham.

He said: "JLR made a firm commitment to the UK by announcing it will build the new all-electric XJ at its Castle Bromwich plant, laying the foundations for the next generation of electric cars.

"Now the Government has been able to give further support to JLR's ambitions by putting this offer on the table, which is brilliant news."

The battery components can make up to 40 per cent of the total cost of an electric vehicle.

JLR has a battery assembly plant at Hams Hall, near Birmingham, but has to import battery cells from overseas.

The phrase 'gigafactory' refers to the giant factory currently under construction by electric car manufacturer Tesla near Reno, in Nevada, which will create batteries from scratch.

It is more economical to produce the entire battery in one location but it is an extremely complex process which requires a number of different elements, hence why the factory site has to be so large.

The factory will also recycle old batteries.

Tesla has also hinted it may open a similar factory in Europe but has not decided on a location.

Writing for the ConservativeHome website, Mr Street added: "The West Midlands needs a world-class 'gigafactory' capable of producing the batteries required to power our next generation vehicles.

"Batteries also form the heaviest part of the vehicle, meaning their production needs to be near the car's assembly lines.

"Government has already played an important role in helping make the West Midlands competitive in this race, investing £108 million in a state-of-the-art Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry and creating the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles.

"Now Government incentives could attract a global firm to create this much-needed gigafactory."

Business Secretary Greg Clark has also expressed support for bringing a gigafactory to the UK.

Earlier this month, he said: "The Government has made a big strategic choice in its industrial strategy to be a leading force in the move to electric vehicles.

"We are now perfectly placed to host a gigafactory and we are determined to realise that ambition."

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