COMMENTARY by Jonathan Newell, Editor


Testing


& Test Houses EDITORIAL


Direct Line +44 (0) 20 7863 3078 Editor Jonathan Newell BSc


A TURNING POINT FOR THE UK MOTOR INDUSTRY


tune of £50 million for projects that meet the needs of a low carbon future in motoring. However, to meet the optimistic predictions of the future, a huge amount of work must be done during the next two years, most of which centres around battery production. The UKRI-funded Battery Industrialisation Centre in Coventry has been


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created, BritishVolt has announced plans for its battery gigafactory in Blyth and the Midlands could see a similar facility at Coventry airport if the plans get past the feasibility stage. Also in the Northeast, battery technology giant Envision is considering manufacturing batteries at its site in Sunderland close to the existing Nissan plant. Indeed, executives at Nissan closely associate the production of its electric vehicle range in Sunderland with the creation of the facility. Certainly, its absence would put into question the continued production of the electric “Leaf” and the new Qashqai E-Power beyond 2027, despite the bullish optimism of Nissan chiefs. The reason for the uncertainty is the “proof of origin” clause in the


post-Brexit EU trade deal, which would see UK electric vehicles falling short of the required 55 per cent local content required to avoid export tariffs to the EU. Without local battery production and testing capabilities at scales that


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The reason for the uncertainty is the “proof of origin” clause


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match the industry’s expected output, it wouldn’t just be Nissan that would need to rethink its plans. Talks are still ongoing at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant, where the options currently seem very dependent on the battery supply chain: either the plant just continues with the existing range until it reaches end of life in less than a decade or it signs up to a future of electric vehicle production. To do that, investors would surely want to see some strong commitments to a viable local battery production and test capability.


he UK automotive industry is entering a period that could prove as precarious as the 1970s or the starting point for a high-growth, lucrative future in electric mobility. Recognising the need to exploit electric motoring, government is providing funding to the


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March 2021 /// Testing & Test Houses /// 3


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