Ahead of a visit to the MINI plant in Oxford, Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch has today hailed the success of the UK Government’s plan for automotive, as the sector looks ahead to a bright future thanks to over £6 billion of investment over the last two years.
This comes as BMW are set to announce a multi-million pound investment to transform their Oxford plant, securing 4,000 high-quality jobs and strengthening the electric vehicle supply chain. The news follows extensive government engagement and support.
The Government is securing investment from industry by providing support for new plants and upgrades to ensure that the UK automotive industry thrives long into the future.
Last week Stellantis, makers of Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat, announced the start of electric vehicle production after their £100m investment to make their site in Ellesmere Port their first globally dedicated solely to producing EVs.
Other recent major investments also include a landmark investment of over £4 billion from Tata to build a new gigafactory supplying batteries, £1 billion from Nissan and AESC to create an EV manufacturing hub in Sunderland, and £380 million from Ford to make Halewood their first EV components site in Europe.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
BMW’s investment is another shining example of how the UK is the best place to build cars of the future.
By backing our car manufacturing industry, we are securing thousands of jobs and growing our economy right across the country.
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:
Today’s announcement by BMW, coming a week after electric vehicle production started at Stellantis’s site at Ellesmere Port, clearly shows that the Government’s plan for the automotive sector is working.
Working in partnership with the car industry, we are securing high-quality jobs and investment and boosting economic growth.
The total investment in the UK automotive sector is set to reach over £6bn in just the last two years, ensuring our car industry can look ahead to a bright and successful future under this Government.
