Booming electric vehicle ecosystem attracts FDI to Warwickshire

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is flowing into Warwickshire as the county's reputation as a centre of automotive and engineering excellence attracts companies from around the world.

Warwickshire's automotive sector, and that of the Midlands as a whole, continues to flourish at the front of the fast-evolving world with a real push on new energy vehicles and demonstration projects for autonomous pods. 

And that reputation is attracting a strong flow of FDI as firms large and small seek to harness the Research & Development skills, testing facilities and expertise of the region.

Recent arrivals in Warwickshire include EDAG Engineering (a German- owned company working with premium OEMs), Baro Vehicles (an Argentinian company set up in the UK to produce semi-autonomous luxury golf buggies with plans for full autonomy by 2020) and United States-owned Lightning Hybrids (producers of hydraulic systems to recover energy from fleet vehicles). 

Alongside these recent arrivals in the county sit many FDI expansion projects such as Geely London Taxi Company opening their first electric vehicle production facility at Ansty and Jaguar Land Rover’s investment in R&D facilities at Gaydon and Whitley, along with their development of the electric iPace.

Detroit Electric have secured Chinese investment to develop a high end electric car while Liberty Vehicles have unveiled exciting plans to invest £10m to expand their manufacturing capability with a new facility in Leamington Spa. Their next supercar model (T1 Evo) will make a debut in the town base while Liberty’s Trillion Cycles range will launch a new premium product there.

Stephanie Williams, an inward investment officer with Warwickshire County Council, believes it is fantastic to see how Warwickshire and neighbouring Coventry have become prestige locations for developing low carbon vehicle projects.

"It is no wonder we are attracting companies from around the world as this region more than pulls its weight to add to the UK’s competitiveness while help the local eco-system and creating new jobs for the economy," Stephanie said.

"Our central location provides great connectivity up and down the UK and easy access to skilled workers, specialised engineering training centres and cross industry collaboration. Supporting the OEMs with these new developments and challenges is a technology, engineering and advanced manufacturing-led supply chain, supported by our forward-thinking universities and research centres."