Tata Motors to Set Up £4 Billion EV Battery Cell Gigafactory in UK

Tata Group intends to invest more than 4 billion pounds (Rs 42,537 crore) in the United Kingdom to build a 40-gigawatt battery cell gigafactory. According to Tata Sons, the investment would provide electric mobility and renewable energy storage solutions to buyers in the United Kingdom and Europe. The manufacturer revealed in a statement that JLR and Tata Motors will be anchor customers, with supply starting in 2026. One of the biggest facilities in Europe will produce batteries for electric vehicles. It is important to note that it is also one of the biggest investments ever for the UK's automotive industry. As per the UK government, the new gigafactory will accelerate Britain's transition to zero-emission vehicles by producing nearly half of the batteries required by 2030 and perhaps up to 4,000 new direct jobs.

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Tata Motors UK Gigafactory: Key Details

The battery gigafactory will make high-performance battery packs and cells for a range of uses in the energy and mobility industries. According to the conglomerate, the company's strategic expansion plans for its flexible manufacturing capacity will commence with a quick ramp-up phase and production will begin in 2026.

Sharing his thoughts on the UK Gigafactory, N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, stated, “The Tata Group is deeply committed to a sustainable future across all of our business. Today, I am delighted to announce the Tata Group will be setting up one of Europe's largest battery cell manufacturing facilities in the UK. Our multi-billion pound investment will bring state-of-the-art technology to the country, helping to power the automotive sector’s transition to electric mobility, anchored by our own business, Jaguar Land Rover. With this strategic investment, the Tata Group further strengthens its commitment to the UK, alongside our many companies operating here across technology, consumer, hospitality, steel, chemicals, and automotive."

Meanwhile, with an initial investment of over Rs 13,000 crore, the Tata Group also intends to set up a lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility in Gujarat. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of a gigafactory with a 20-gigawatt-hour output capacity has been inked by its subsidiary Agratas Energy with the Gujarat government. The automaker claimed last month that the gigafactory being built by Tata Group in Gujarat will ensure "political de-risking" and control over the entire supply chain, both upstream and downstream.

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UK PM Rishi Sunak Shares His Thoughts

Commenting on the announcement, UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said, "Tata group's decision to build their new gigafactory here in the UK – their first outside of India – is a huge vote of confidence in Britain. This will be one of the largest ever investments in the UK automotive sector. It will not only create thousands of skilled jobs for Britons around the country, but it will also strengthen our lead in the global transition to electric vehicles, helping to grow our economy in clean industries of the future."

"With the global transition to zero emission vehicles well underway, this will help grow our economy by driving forward our lead in battery technology whilst creating as many as 4,000 jobs, and thousands more in the supply chain. We can be incredibly proud that Britain has been chosen as home to Tata Group's first gigafactory outside India, securing our place as one of the most attractive places to build electric vehicles," he added.