Street unveils plan to bring thousands of new green jobs to West Midlands
Andy Street has set out his plan to make the car industry in the West Midlands a “world leader” in new clean electric vehicle and battery technologies, which he claims will bring thousands of new green jobs to the West Midlands.
The current Mayor of the West Midlands has committed to do all he can to bring a battery Gigafactory to the West Midlands, and he revealed that he had been in active discussions with battery manufacturers as recently as last week.
He also raised the prospect of van and bus manufacturing returning to the region, but now with electric drivetrain and battery technology.
Street launched his plan on a visit to Westfield Autonomous Vehicles on the Pensnett Trading Estate in Kingswinford.
He said: “This is a brilliant West Midlands company which is selling millions of pounds worth of driverless pods to South Korea and around the world. This creative genius will be what will set this region up for a prosperous future.”
Street’s plan for the automotive industry includes detailed proposals of how to drive forward the transition to clean electric vehicles, and is informed by the work of academics and industry experts.
He plans to:
– Accelerate the move to electric vehicles and clean technologies
– Protect existing jobs in the West Midlands automotive industry
– Attract new automotive jobs to the West Midlands
– Help to develop world-class new automotive technologies
– Develop automotive skills and make sure workers get a good deal
– Provide local infrastructure support for the West Midlands automotive businesses
The announcement came in the same week that Jaguar Land Rover unveiled ‘Project Vector’, its prototype for new autonomous electric vehicle, which will be piloted next year on the streets of Coventry with the support of Transport for West Midlands.
Street said: “If I am re-elected as Mayor in May I will continue to champion the West Midlands car industry as a priority.
“The climate emergency makes it more urgent that we work together to support the car industry in the region in its transition to green technologies. We have a great heritage of car-making in the West Midlands and we can be a world leader in the new clean electric vehicle and battery industries.
“There is the potential to bring thousands of well-paid new jobs into the region and that’s why we need a business-minded Mayor who understands the car industry and has been working hard to help the industry in the West Midlands stay one step ahead of our global competitors.”
