Mega UK Jaguar Land Rover battery plant could be announced this week
The government is reportedly on the cusp of securing a long-term commitment from Tata Group to build a new battery plant in Somerset that would supply a new range of electric Jaguar and Land Rover models.
Tata could outline its decision as soon as this week, according to Bloomberg, which would be seen as a significant win for Downing Street as it looks to boost its electric vehicle ambitions.
This follows media reports from the BBC earlier this year that the UK had won the race for the factory against European rivals.
Tata’s battery-cell operation Agratas, which is building two factories — one in India and one in Europe — earlier this month posted job openings for UK-based battery factory jobs.
The government and Tata have both been approached for comment on the report.
Darren Jones, the Chair of the cross-party Business and Trade Committee, said news of the decision was “very welcome”.
“We will want to reflect, however, on the subsidy package that was required to secure this decision and if this approach is scalable to meet the need for further battery manufacturing sites for other car companies across the UK,” he added.