- Tata Motors to build £4 billion battery factory in the UK
- Gigafactory to generate thousands of skilled jobs in the automotive industry
- Investment strengthens UK’s position in battery technology and electric vehicles
The corporation anticipates the £4 billion investment to create 4,000 direct jobs and tens of thousands in the supply chain.
Jaguar Land Rover’s owner plans to build a UK electric vehicle battery manufacturing.
Tata Motors plans to invest more than £4 billion, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stated that the new plant in Somerset will generate tens of thousands of skilled jobs for British citizens.
The government agreed to taxpayer subsidies after months of negotiations to compete with Spain for the investment.
It is a step in the right direction for UK ministers in the face of mounting challenges over the transition to electric powertrains, as the clock ticks down to the 2030 prohibition on the sale of new gasoline- or diesel-powered automobiles.
According to Tata Group, this is one of the largest investments ever made in the British automotive industry. And the gigafactory will produce fifty percent of the batteries required by 2030.
This is the company’s first gigafactory outside of India, and Mr. Sunak described it as an “incredibly proud” moment.
The Prime Minister added, “Tata Group’s multibillion-pound investment in a new battery factory in the United Kingdom is a testament to the strength of our automobile manufacturing industry and its skilled workers.”
“With the global transition to zero-emission vehicles well underway, this will help our economy grow by advancing our lead in battery technology while creating up to 4,000 jobs and thousands more in the supply chain.”
Jaguar Land Rover’s future battery-electric models, including the Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar brands, will be supplied by the new Bridgwater gigafactory, which may also supply other automakers.
The new facility is scheduled to begin production in 2026.
The 40GWh gigafactory will be Europe’s largest automotive investment and one of Britain’s largest.
Mr. N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, stated that he was “delighted” with the announcement, adding that it “strengthens its commitment to the United Kingdom, alongside our numerous companies operating here in technology, consumer, hospitality, steel, chemicals, and automotive.”
It was a “huge vote of confidence in the UK,” according to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, and it demonstrates that “we’re on the right track, supporting the sectors that will underpin our future prosperity for decades to come.”
When asked about the factory this morning, Energy Secretary Grant Shapps told that the investment was “probably the largest ever automobile investment in the United Kingdom, or certainly the largest in the last four decades.”
Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, described the new facility as a “welcome development”. But criticized what she termed a “last minute.com approach” to the nation’s industrial strategy.
She stated that the United States and Europe have clear, proactive plans for employment and investment.
We cannot remain perpetually behind. The government should present an immediate long-term industrial plan based on the day’s good news.
She added, “The government must employ UK steel to build the gigafactory as part of an industrial plan. There must also be reform of the sky-high energy costs for businesses. Which pose a grave threat to the future of manufacturing in the United Kingdom.”
Because it creates jobs, bringing the gigafactory to the UK took nine months and government funding, he said.
However, he refused to disclose the amount of support provided by the government, stating, “The exact figures will be released in the usual manner, due to their commercial sensitivity.
“However, it’s not just money,” he said, adding that research capacity also played a role.
“They were impressed by our plans to reduce energy costs,” he said, adding that the factory could have also been located in Spain.
Mr. Sunak faces three by-elections on Thursday, including one in Somerset and Frome, a constituency adjacent to Bridgwater, where the new factory will be located.
