Midlands gigafactory appoints battery expert to lead global strategy

West Midlands gigafactory joint venture has appointed global battery industry and technology expert Richard Moore to spearhead its strategy and global contact with leading cell manufacturers.

This key appointment will support the investment and development of what will become the UK 's largest gigafactory.

Gigafactories are strategically critical to the UK 's automotive and domestic energy sectors, job creation, future economic growth and achieving Net Zero targets which makes the West Midlands gigafactory imperative for the UK 's electrified future.

Richard Moore is a highly experienced global automotive battery expert with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He was previously a board member and executive engineering director of Lotus, where he led the engineering of all sports cars, including the Evija electric hypercar. Previous high-profile industry roles include Chief Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover.

Based in the automotive skills capital of the UK, the heart of the UK 's manufacturing sector, the 60GWH per annum West Midlands gigafactory could become Britain 's largest cell factory.

The factory is a public private joint venture between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport Ltd. It is already in advanced discussions with global battery manufacturers to occupy the site which can be production ready from 2025 to begin supplying high-tech batteries for electric vehicles. At full capacity, it could create up to 6,000 direct jobs, with thousands more in the supply chain.

Today, more than 400 specialist automotive and battery technology companies are based in the West Midlands. The region is home to a third of the UK 's automotive employees and has an abundance of automotive research, design, engineering, and manufacturing talent. The electrification revolution represents the largest shift in industrial skills for the UK in a generation

Richard Moore, West Midlands gigafactory battery expert said: “I am hugely excited to be joining the team behind the West Midlands Gigafactory. This is a significantly important project for the region, the British automotive and domestic energy industries and the UK as we transition to an electrified economy. ”

Mike Murray, West Midlands gigafactory project director “As the world rapidly moves towards an increasingly electrified future, Gigafactories have been identified as essential to the survival of the UK 's automotive and energy storage sectors as well as its future economic growth. We are looking forward to working closely with Richard and harnessing his world-class expertise. ”

Further information about the West Midlands gigafactory is available via the website www.ukgigafactory.com