Jaguar Land Rover in talks for UK gigafactory Business

Britain is in line for another gigafactory after Jaguar Land Rover began talks with the battery maker that supplies Nissan about producing power sources for its Land Rover and Range Rover models.

Envision AESC, which originated as a joint venture between Nissan and Japanese conglomerates NEC and Tokin, is already planning a new battery plant for the Japanese automaker in Sunderland.

However, the size of a potential deal with Jaguar Land Rover, Britain’s biggest automaker, would require a second battery plant, insiders say.

A possible site for a JLR/Envision battery factory is the former steelworks at Redcar on Teesside, which has access to renewable energy sources as well as the necessary space.

Sites in Hungary and Spain are being considered as well as the UK, the Financial Times reported, but it is understood the Tata-owned automaker wants a factory to be in the UK.

Jaguar Land Rover said: “We are exploring all options at this time. No decision has been made. »

Envision did not respond to a request for comment.

JLR, which along with Nissan accounts for the majority of UK-made cars, is behind its main rivals in choosing a battery supplier.

Aston Martin struck a deal earlier this month with UK-based Britishvolt that plans a gigafactory in Blyth, Northumberland. Chinese sports car maker Lotus has also teamed up with Britishvolt.

Nissan, which led the way with its all-electric Leaf model that first went on sale more than a decade ago, is planning its second battery plant.

Battery manufacturing in the UK is seen as crucial to the success of UK automakers, as much of the cost and performance of electric vehicles is determined by the battery.