Coventry’s Welsh rival signs MOU in race for electric car battery plant

Coventry looks to have missed out on over 3,500 jobs after Britishvolt signed a memorandum of understanding for a huge electric car battery factory with the Welsh Government.

The news is a major blow for West Midlands manufacturing. Earlier this year, Mayor Andy Street travelled to China to meet potential gigafactory investors as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) plans to build a major battery production plant in Coventry.

At the time, he said: “It is no secret that the new Government will soon have to make a decision on where the UK’s first gigafactory is going to be built. Location is everything when making such monumental decisions in industrial investment, and it is crucial that the West Midlands wins this argument.”

However, Britishvolt, which is based at Westwood Business Park in Coventry, says the factory will now be built at a former RAF site near Cardiff.

WMCA has been contacted for comment.

Meanwhile, chief executive of Britishvolt, Orral Nadjari said: “Signing the MOU with Welsh Government is a major milestone. This next step on our accelerated journey to setting up our facility, signals a significant boost for the UK economy. Our facility will create 3,500 jobs and thousands more in the wider ecosystem. We continue to work in line with government policy, and will now be working towards formalising the relationship by signing the lease at the end of August.”