Rugby MP takes to Parliament to back proposal to build electric car battery factory near Rugby

Proposals to build a new Gigafactory at Coventry Airport were backed in Parliament today when Rugby MP Mark Pawsey urged the Prime Minister to support the project.

In his question at the Prime Minister’s weekly session, Mr Pawsey spoke about the importance of the switch to electric vehicles for the Government’s plan for a Green Industrial Revolution.

With a significant proportion of the cost of new electric vehicles being the battery, and the high cost of shipping these batteries, Mr Pawsey argued that much of the future manufacturing of electric vehicles will be done near to where batteries are made.

Therefore, a Gigafactory in Coventry – the base for Jaguar Land Rover and the historic home of the UK’s motor industry – will help to drive the switch to electric vehicle manufacturing which represents the future of the motor trade.

In his response to Mr Pawsey, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke about his visit to the London Electric Vehicle Company’s factory at Ansty Park in Rugby and the world-leading work which has been done to build the all-electric London Black Cab.

The Prime Minister also spoke about his determination to roll out the opportunities of electric vehicle manufacturing for both the domestic and international market to Rugby and across the UK.

Speaking after PMQs, Mr Pawsey said: “One of the most important ways we as a country can achieve the target of net-zero by 2050 is by enabling the switch to electric vehicles – especially with the Government’s commitment to phasing out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

"This means that we will need domestic battery manufacturing capability and there can be no better place to locate this than at Coventry Airport, on the doorstep of the UK’s motor industry.

“We’ve already seen the great opportunities for the automotive sector locally thanks to the London Electric Vehicle Company who build the new, fully electric London Black Cab in Rugby at Ansty Park.

"Jaguar Land Rover are also based in the West Midlands and have pledged to go all electric by 2025, investing over £1 billion in their sites to achieve this.

"Delivering this Gigafactory will support jobs and growth at the site and power our transition to net zero and would also be a vote of confidence in the UK’s automotive sector.

“It was great to hear the Prime Minister talk about his experience at the London Electric Vehicle Company and the great work which is taking place already to drive the electric vehicle revolution. The proposed Gigafactory at Coventry Airport will help to boost this sector and I hope that the Government will support this great investment in the West Midlands.”