Electric vehicle supply chain pilot to launch in the West Midlands
A new green manufacturing pilot which is aiming to bolster the car industry has been launched in the West Midlands.
The initiative will tap into the region's major car makers such as JLR, BMW and Aston Martin and their associated supply chains in a bid to boost growth, enhance resilience and increase production in the transition to zero-emission technologies
Along with a similar initiative in the North East, it is part of the government's £2.5 billion DRIVE35 programme which is hoping to boost the automotive industry's move to green tech and electric vehicles.
This received a further £1.5 billion in last month's Budget which will bring total capital support to £4 billion until 2035.
Tens of thousands of people across the West Midlands are employed in fields such as propulsion systems, battery recycling and electric motors, from producing components to building vehicles.
This includes at JLR's Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre near Wolverhampton and its plants across Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull, Aston Martin in Warwickshire and BMW in Hams Hall.
Hundreds of companies across the Black Country, Shropshire and the wider region also supply into car makers.
Industry Minister Chris McDonald said: "With this funding, we're backing electric vehicle manufacturing in both the North East and West Midlands to succeed - shoring up our supply chains, securing local jobs and creating new opportunities in local communities.
"Through our modern Industrial Strategy, we're giving the car sector the tools it needs to thrive and, working in partnership with business and local government, to ramp up EV manufacturing across the country as we drive forward the net zero transition."
