1. The transition to electric
1.1 EV battery production in the UK
As part of the transition to net zero, the UK government has announced that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will end in 2030. This policy has led to a renewed focus on the UK’s ability to manufacture EVs, particularly its capacity to produce their batteries.
The UK currently has one confirmed battery plant or ‘gigafactory’, the Chinese-owned Envision site being built in Sunderland. Some commentators have argued that this is not enough. The Faraday Institution, an independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research, has estimated that by 2030, the UK will need five gigafactories, with demand rising to 10 by 2040. In 2021, the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee ran an inquiry on the role of batteries and fuel cells in meeting the government’s net zero target. It found that the UK needed to increase its battery manufacturing capacity or risk failing to achieve the target. In addition, the committee warned that automotive manufacturers could move overseas.
CT Automotive plc (LON:CTA) designs, develops and manufactures automotive interior finishes and complex kinematic assemblies for the most well-known automotive brands on the planet. These critical components are managed through an intricate global network of reactive supply chains to arrive JIT (Just in Time) at their respective OEM manufacturing plants.
