Save for later Print Download Share LinkedIn Twitter The UK needs to support its automotive industry by building giant battery-manufacturing factories and expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure or risk losing thousands of jobs, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SSMT). EVs, including hybrids, have seen sales skyrocket in Europe. Last year, they accounted for 11% of all new passenger car sales, up from just 3% in 2019 (IOD Feb.3'21). The UK car industry supports around 180,000 jobs but if the UK fails to keep pace with the EV revolution its workforce risks "precipitous decline," the SSMT said. The industry group urged the UK government to support the building of 2.3 million EV charging points by 2030 and help EV battery manufacturers to build enough capacity to churn out 60 gigawatt hours of battery capacity. The report found the "shift to electrified vehicles is the biggest challenge facing the [auto] sector" in the UK, adding that building the large battery factories would enable UK manufacturers to produce up to 1 million EVs a year. The UK government is in talks with various manufacturers to build so-called "gigafactories" in the UK, including Japanese automaker Nissan.
