New electric car battery technology centre to open in Coventry

A new national centre of excellence for developing the latest electric car battery technology will be created in Coventry, backed by new Government investment.

Minister for Business and Industry, Andrew Stephenson has announced a new £28 million investment in the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), providing a stepping stone for the ambition of a Gigafactory in the UK – a large-scale battery technology factory for electric vehicles.

The investment, through the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, comes on top of £80 million initial investment in the centre, which will provide world-leading testing facilities for new battery technologies. This investment will also provide practical training to upskill people in battery manufacturing.

The Business and Industry Minister made the announcement on a tour of the UKBIC site to mark new funding alongside Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, as they also unveiled the new Local Industrial Strategy for the West Midlands – the first in the country.

The Local Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term vision for the region to increase productivity – including how the West Midlands can harness the next developments in automotive technologies, such as electric vehicles and driverless cars.

Business and Industry Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “Putting the UK at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles is at the heart of our plans – creating jobs, growth and opportunity across the country.

“Driven by the potential of fast-paced development of battery technology, this investment puts the UK – amongst a handful of countries around the world – on the next step to meet the challenge by the future of mobility.

“Our investment of £28 million in this new facility will support the UK’s world-leading automotive industry to compete internationally, attract further investment and establish supply chains for new electric vehicle battery design and development.”

Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, said: “For Coventry to boast the UK’s Battery Industrialisation Centre is a major coup for the city and the wider West Midlands.

“This £108 million facility will give the city and the region a huge boost in the race to lead the world in the production of electric vehicles, which is an increasingly important market as we look to tackle air pollution and climate change.

“The Local Industrial Strategy being launched today also highlights advanced manufacturing, medical research and the creative and digital industries as distinct strengths of the West Midlands. The strategy will build on these strengths and other opportunities so we have a strong and resilient economic future that can benefit all communities across the whole region.”

UK Battery Industrialisation Centre www.ukbic.co.uk