Tata Motors to Open Gigafactory in the UK
Autocar has learned that Tata Motors, in collaboration with JLR, will be launching a new gigafactory in the UK under the name Agratas South West. This facility is set to create 4000 jobs initially, focusing on battery production for Tata Motors and JLR vehicles. The factory will later expand to cater to various other industries such as commercial vehicles, two-wheelers, and energy storage solutions.
Tata aims to hire locally to fill the 4000 job openings, with additional opportunities expected within the supply chain and supporting businesses. The cells produced at the factory will be in a rectangular prismatic format, allowing for flexibility in cell chemistry adaptations as technology progresses.
This announcement from Tata signifies a significant investment in the UK automotive industry, providing much-needed reassurance amidst uncertainties surrounding the country’s readiness for the electric vehicle (EV) revolution.
However, concerns linger regarding the UK’s capacity to meet the growing demand for batteries to support EV production. The Faraday Institute projects a need for 100GWh of capacity by 2030, escalating to 200GWh by 2040. Currently, aside from Tata’s planned 40GWh site in Somerset, only Nissan supplier Envision has concrete plans to increase battery production in the UK.
Tata’s gigafactory in Bridgwater is poised to become the largest battery manufacturing facility in Europe, surpassing LG’s expansion plans at its plant in Poland. LG’s facility supplies batteries to prominent automakers like Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Renault, and Volvo.
