£1bn gigafactory plans to fuel 1,000 jobs after landmark deal

Volklec has announced plans to invest more than £1bn in developing a gigafactory in Coventry, following a strategic partnership with leading Chinese battery supplier, Far East Battery (FEB).

With FEB’s support, Volklec will utilise the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre’s (UKBIC) existing 100MWh production line to manufacture an advanced energy cell.

Phil Popham, executive director of Volklec

This collaboration will install an additional 1GWh production line for lithium-ion batteries by the end of 2026, catering to the high-value manufacturing sector.

Looking ahead, Volklec plans to deliver a full-scale 10GWh gigafactory, a £1bn investment that will create more than 1,000 highly skilled jobs by the end of the decade.

Founded in 2009, FEB is a global leader in battery design and manufacturing, specialising in energy storage solutions and EV power systems.

Phil Popham, executive director of Volklec, leads a group of technical specialists at its base at UKBIC. Popham previously ran Jaguar Land Rover operations globally, and served as CEO of Lotus Cars and also Sunseeker in the luxury marine sector.

He said: “There is an urgent need for new independent manufacturers to secure the battery supply chain in the UK. There is no greater transformation today than the electric revolution in transport and mobility, and the British start-up scene is thriving, from motorsport to heavy duty off-highway and most things in between.

“But there is a substantial gap in the supply chain. The UK is particularly strong in the specialist and high-performance sectors which need surety of supply with quality and reliability. Our mission is to help these innovators thrive.”

Volklec’s executive team includes key commercial, technical and EV business specialists with experience in the battery, manufacturing and electrification sectors.

Ron Lee is chief technical and manufacturing officer, having formerly served as global director of
powertrain engineering at Jaguar Land Rover; Shakeel Meharban is chief commercial officer, having formerly served as managing director for the automotive business unit of McLaren Applied and Nikki Rimmington is head of strategy, having formerly served as strategy development director for InoBat Auto.