Here’s where Britain’s biggest EV factory is going to be built

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Tata, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has revealed it is building the biggest electric vehicle gigafactory in the UK, in the south-west county of Somerset. The brownstone site, at the Gravity Smart Campus in Puriton, near Bridgwater, was previously a Royal Ordnance Factory from the World War II, until it stopped operating in 2008.

It is expected to manufacture about 40GWh worth of battery cells every year, which should account for around 500,000 vehicles. The company has revealed it will start off producing batteries for JLR vehicles such as the Defender, Range Rover and Jaguar brands. However, it also has ambitions to provide commercial energy storage and supply other automobile producers later on.

The project is one of the biggest across Europe. It is expected to cost around £4 billion (€4.67 billion). It is expected to be around six or seven million square feet, according to Gravity chairman Martin Bellamy, speaking to BBC Radio Somerset.

Bellamy also said: “It’s impossible to overstate how important this is for the UK. It is the catalyst to kick-start the electric vehicle revolution in the UK.”

Battery production is due to start at the new factory in 2026 and, by the start of the next decade, it is projected to account for about half of the UK’s automotive sector battery production.

The factory itself will create about 4,000 jobs, with the potential for several thousands more in the supply chain.

Data was earlier reported to be looking at a Spanish site but decided on the UK after the government offered a series of subsidies. It is unclear what these are.  

Factory an important step in UK’s bid for battery independence

The UK, along with the EU, has been in a race to advance its EV battery-producing capacities, in an effort to decrease dependence on Chinese supply chains. This has been an uphill battle so far, as China has a head start of about a decade when it comes to electric vehicle production.

The new gigafactory could potentially help turn the tide in the UK’s favour. As reported by FleetNews, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Tata Group’s decision to build their new gigafactory here in the UK – their first outside of India – is a huge vote of confidence in Britain. This will be one of the largest ever investments in the UK automotive sector.

“It will not only create thousands of skilled jobs for Britons around the country, but it will also strengthen our lead in the global transition to electric vehicles, helping to grow our economy in clean industries of the future.”

Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said in a statement: “Our multi-billion pound investment will bring state-of-the-art technology to the country, helping to power the automotive sector’s transition to electric mobility, anchored by our own business, Jaguar Land Rover.

“With this strategic investment, the Tata Group further strengthens its commitment to the UK alongside our many companies operating here across technology, consumer, hospitality, steel, chemicals and automotive. I also want to thank His Majesty’s Government, which has worked so closely with us to enable this investment.”

Due to escalating global tensions with China following the pandemic, it has become all the more vital for the UK to establish its own battery supply chain.