Britain is close to winning a major battery plant for electric vehicles as Tata, the parent company of Jaguar Land Rover, leans towards choosing it over Spain.
Tata, a conglomerate involved in industries from cars to salt, is favouring a factory in England after the UK government offered a support package, according to people familiar with the matter.
No final decision has been made and Tata could decide on another location, they said.
A decision in favour of the UK by Tata would secure the future of JLR’s plants in the country and mark a major coup for the government as Spanish authorities were battling to win the investment. The plant — to be based in Somerset, England — would make batteries for Jaguar Land Rover’s planned range of fully electric models due from 2024.
The UK has been struggling to attract significant vehicle industry investment in the aftermath of Brexit, while several manufacturers have shifted output to other countries amid the generational push towards electrification.
Stellantis, which is adapting its Ellesmere Port site to make electric vans, said operations in the UK could close if the cost of manufacturing became uncompetitive and unsustainable.
BMW last year said it will move production of electric Mini hatchbacks from Oxford to China. Honda closed its car factory in Swindon in 2021, leaving Britain with only four major manufacturers: Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, BMW and Toyota.
A spokesperson for Tata declined to comment. A spokesperson for the department for business and trade declined to comment.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
Jaguar owner Tata leans towards UK over Spain for battery plant
Image: Bloomberg
Britain is close to winning a major battery plant for electric vehicles as Tata, the parent company of Jaguar Land Rover, leans towards choosing it over Spain.
Tata, a conglomerate involved in industries from cars to salt, is favouring a factory in England after the UK government offered a support package, according to people familiar with the matter.
No final decision has been made and Tata could decide on another location, they said.
A decision in favour of the UK by Tata would secure the future of JLR’s plants in the country and mark a major coup for the government as Spanish authorities were battling to win the investment. The plant — to be based in Somerset, England — would make batteries for Jaguar Land Rover’s planned range of fully electric models due from 2024.
The UK has been struggling to attract significant vehicle industry investment in the aftermath of Brexit, while several manufacturers have shifted output to other countries amid the generational push towards electrification.
Stellantis, which is adapting its Ellesmere Port site to make electric vans, said operations in the UK could close if the cost of manufacturing became uncompetitive and unsustainable.
BMW last year said it will move production of electric Mini hatchbacks from Oxford to China. Honda closed its car factory in Swindon in 2021, leaving Britain with only four major manufacturers: Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, BMW and Toyota.
A spokesperson for Tata declined to comment. A spokesperson for the department for business and trade declined to comment.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
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