Western Daily Press (Saturday)
‘Musk visit’ amid e-car site search
TECH entrepreneur Elon Musk is rumoured to have visited Britain this week amid a government search for a site to build a huge electric car factory – with speculation that it could be in the West.
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is on the hunt for a location for a vehicle research, development and manufacturing gigafactory, it is understood.
Officials are looking to secure around four million sq ft of industrial space for a mammoth plant, according to Property Week.
The trade publication also revealed that clean energy and car company Tesla – of which Mr Musk, 48, is the co-founder and CEO – is linked to the search.
One of the possible sites is rumoured to be the 650-acre Gravity industrial park in Bridgwater, Somerset.
The Government has previously voiced its support for a huge electric vehicle factory in Britain, as briefly outlined in its 2019 manifesto.
It is thought that Mr Musk’s private jet landed at London Luton Airport just after midday on Wednesday. It then reportedly took off on Thurdsay morning from the same airport after spending just 19 hours on the ground.
A new law forcing all foreign travellers to quarantine on arrival into Britain does not come into force until next week.
Mr Musk, an avid user of Twitter, tweeted on Tuesday that he would be off the site “for a while”.
Scientists have estimated that Britain will need one gigafactory by 2022, two by 2025 and eight by 2040 to meet demand for electric vehicles and batteries.
A spokeperson for the DIT told Property Week: “The government is working with industry to help make the UK the location of choice to develop world-class electric vehicle technologies.
“DIT is working closely with partners to scope out sites for new investment into electric vehicle research, development and manufacturing across the UK.”
Tesla submitted a document to the relevant authorities in order to become an energy supplier in Britain earlier this month, according to reports.
Mr Musk said previously that he his company had considered the nation as a location for a factory but chose Germany instead due to concerns over Brexit.
Tesla currently has three operational gigafactories in Nevada and New York in the USA, and in Shanghai.
DIT is working closely with partners to scope out sites for new investment into electric vehicle research, development and manufacturing
DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT