Government pledges £28m for Coventry EV battery centre

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre will provide testing facilities for new battery technologies

The government has pledged £28 million for an electric vehicle (EV) battery centre in Coventry as it pushes for the UK to establish an industry leading factory.

The funding for the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre is in addition to an initial investment of £80 million announced by Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark in 2017.

It will be a new centre of excellence and provide testing facilities for new battery technologies as well as practical training to upskill people in battery manufacturing.

The investment provides a stepping stone for the government’s ambition for a Gigafactory in the UK – a large-scale battery technology factory for EVs.

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.”

A new government-backed scheme that will give an official stamp of approval to dealerships skilled in selling and servicing EVs was launched yesterday.

Technologies for energy users that can help them reduce costs and emissions will be among those on display at The Energy Solutions Show (TESS)  on June 5th at Millennium Point, Birmingham.

If you wish to register as a delegate for free, you can send an e-mail here or to showcase your technology, you can get in touch here.

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