Ford and Samsung consider Britain for electric battery gigafactories

Some of the world’s most significant carmakers and technology businesses are mulling options to establish battery “gigafactories” in the United kingdom amid govt overtures to the sector.

Six firms, together with carmakers Ford and Nissan and South Korean electronics giants LG and Samsung, are in discussions with the Authorities about spots for battery factories in Britain, the Fiscal Situations claimed.

Also amongst the intrigued firms are begin-ups BritishVolt, which publicly revealed its interest past calendar year, and Slovakia’s InoBat. 

Ford is currently contemplating opportunity spots for a battery provider for its Transit Personalized, an all-electrical van that is owing to go into generation in Turkey in 2023. 

A Ford spokesman said: “As we have formerly said, we will affirm the battery provider for the Transit Personalized nearer to start.” InaBat, LG and Samsung did not answer to requests for comment. In May, it was claimed Nissan could establish a battery manufacturing facility to assistance its Sunderland plant.

A Authorities spokesman said it was “dedicated to securing gigafactories, and carry on[s] to perform carefully with traders and auto suppliers to progress options to mass generate batteries in the UK”.

Britain so considerably has only 1 company with options for a gigafactory in the United kingdom. BritishVolt, a £2.6bn begin-up started in 2019, wants to build a manufacturing website close to Blyth for its electrical batteries.