M5 site eyed for £1billion electric car factory by both Amazon firm Rivian and Tesla – reports

‘Gigafactory’ would create an estimated 5,000 jobs

An Amazon-backed electric car company is eyeing up a site near the M5 in Somerset for a £1billion gigafactory – but they could have serious competition from Elon Musk.

Elon Musk reportedly visited the same site in mid-2020, with rumours he wanted to build an electric car plant to manufacturer Teslas.

Now, US electric vehicle giant Rivian, a firm worth around £100billion, is said to be in talks with government ministers over the impressive 635-acre smart campus called Gravity.

The to-be-built gigafactory in Puriton, near Bridgwater, would be the single largest of its kind in the UK – creating in the region of 40,000 direct and indirect job opportunities.

Amazon owns a 20% share in SUV-specialists Rivian, which has not yet entered full-scale production of electric vehicles.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who owns Tesla, was rumoured to have visited Gravity in June 2020.

The firm currently has three operational gigafactories in Nevada and New York in the USA, and in Shanghai.

A fourth gigafactory, in Berlin, Germany, was reportedly due begin an initial phase of mass production this month.

The Government has previously voiced its support for a huge electric vehicle factory in Britain, as briefly outlined in its 2019 manifesto.

Prime minister Boris Johnson is said to be closely involved in encouraging Rivian’s management to invest in the Somerset site – formerly a Royal Ordnance Factory.

It’s reported a package – including a new M5 link road and the re-introduction of an old railway link – has been offered.

The news comes as Rivian delayed the production of their 400-mile electric vehicles until 2023 – instead, they will prioritise building vehicles with standard batteries said to last just over 300 miles.

Source WalesOnline
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/m5-site-eyed-1billion-electric-22594932

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