Government urged to back car gigafactories
THE Government has been urged to go “full throttle” to back the building of electric car gigafactories in Britain.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) called for ministers to set binding targets to construct a series of massive plants that make batteries for electric vehicles.
The trade body suggested 60 gigawatt hours of capacity by 2030 would enable car plants in the UK to churn out one million electric vehicles a year.
The Government has been accused of being too slow when it comes to encouraging the building of gigafactories – a term coined by Tesla mastermind Elon Musk for his component works. There are already a number up and running in Europe, with another 38 planned.
Six companies are in talks about building one of the first gigafactories in the UK. Japanese car maker Nissan is set to announce a battery-making plant at its Sunderland factory tomorrow.
Another is planned by Britishvolt, in Blyth, Northumberland. The £2.6billion project aims to make enough batteries for 300,000 electric cars a year by 2027.
To boost the take-up of electric cars, the SMMT also called for at least 2.3 million charging points to be installed before the end of the decade.
It came as the Society published a wish list to support the industry in the wake of Brexit and the Covid crisis.
Its best-case scenario would see 40,000 new jobs created, many in the North East and Midlands. However, it warns that if the UK does not keep up with other countries when it comes to investment then around 90,000 jobs could be lost.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Now is the time to go full throttle and take bold action to support one of Britain’s most important industries.”
He added: “This is not a mere wish list, it is an investment in growth.”