The first electric vehicle I saw outside the SMMT conference was a white Tesla. The first I saw inside was a white Sinclair C5. The slideshows spoke of billions of pounds of upcoming hi-tech investment.
Electric vehicles have been on quite a journey. The is at the heart of Britain’s electric vehicle transformation with hundreds of millions of pounds of investment on the way - and there could be more success to come if the automotive industry gets the government backing it needs. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) this week held its Regional Forum in Liverpool for the first time, and chose to focus on electric vehicles.
The key local manufacturers were all represented at the conference - and all of them are seeing huge investments in their electric vehicle capacity and into reducing their carbon footprint. JLR employs thousands in Halewood, while more than 1,000 people work at Stellantis’ former Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port and hundreds work at Ford’s transmissions plant in Halewood. Meanwhile Bentley employs 4,000 in Crewe, while Leyland Trucks employs more than 1,000 in Lancashire.
And beyond the big names there are many suppliers in the region, who also employ thousands and will also play key roles in greening the sector. But the industry is not without its challenges - not least a need for more government support for EVs and their infrastructure, whoever wins the upcoming general election. The Sinclair C5 .
It's a reminder that electric vehicle.
