Written evidence from Trackwise Designs plc (BEV0002)

1. Is there enough UK vehicle manufacturing demand in the UK to support gigafactories? No comment.
2. Will the UK have sufficient battery production supplies by 2025 and 2030 respectively to meet the government phase-out plans for petrol and diesel vehicles? Not unless we start somewhere soon.
3. Is UK-based battery production necessary to support the manufacture of electric vehicles in the UK?
4. What are the risks to the UK automotive industry of not establishing sufficient battery manufacturing capacity in the UK?

a)      In my opinion it is essential that UK plc supports one or more gigafactories, and (given the prior investment in Faraday, BIC etc) I am surprised that the question as to whether UK-based battery production is necessary to support the manufacture of electric vehicles in the UK is still being asked.  Surely this question has been answered in the affirmative some years ago, and there is no reason to have changed that answer?  Given the phase-out plans for petrol and diesel vehicles, if UK plc is not active in phase-in for the replacement technology then we will no longer be active in the manufacture of any vehicles in the UK.  This would be a strategic and irreversible mistake. My own business, Trackwise, sits between battery production and the electric vehicles in which these batteries are to be used.  Our business proposition is based upon the assumption that local manufacture of cells is needed for local manufacture of battery modules/packs and local manufacture of electric vehicles. 

5. What other domestic end uses for batteries would provide a market for UK battery production?

b)      Energy storage.

6. Does the UK have a sufficient supply of critical materials to support vehicle battery production? No comment.
7. How ready are UK vehicle producers for the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) rules of origin (ROO) phasing in from 2024? No comment.
8. What can the UK learn from investment in other countries in the establishment of gigafactories? No comment.
9. Do we have the skills in the workforce required for the production of batteries? If not what needs to be done?  I believe so.  Workforce is not experienced in the production of batteries but we have a reasonable pool of workers capable of manning the highly automated process required.
10. Will the cost of UK batteries be competitive compared with batteries produced elsewhere? No comment.
11. What impact will the European Union’s proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism have on UK production? No comment.