Hyperdrive

Why the British Car Industry Urgently Needs a Battery Gigafactory

Carmakers deciding on new fleets need to source battery supply
Level of government subsidy seen as important: Bloomberg NEF

An employee works on a Jaguar XJ automobile on the production line at Tata Motors Ltd.'s Jaguar assembly plant in Castle Bromwich, U.K.Photographer: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Mathew Carr and Anna Hirtenstein

October 19, 2018 at 8:50 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The U.K. needs to move fast to attract a battery gigafactory, because there’s a lot of competition for such clean-energy-based investments.

Europe’s fourth-largest carmaker could harness its Formula One racing industry and top universities to attract a large-scale site to supply builders including Tata Motors Ltd.’s Jaguar Land Rover, said Neil Morris, chief executive officer of the Faraday Institution, which funds research for the U.K. government. That may give it an edge over eastern European Union rivals and China.