Automotive
The West Midlands exported £13.7bn worth of cars and parts in 2019 - almost double the number of any other UK region and representing 36% of the UK total (HMRC). A third of all cars produced in the UK come from production lines in the West Midlands. One in 4 engines in the UK are made in the West Midlands.
As the automotive capital of the UK, the West Midlands car companies are already leading the way in the decarbonisation of transportation: with Jaguar Landrover investing £2.5bn into electrification to ensure a fully electric Jaguar brand by 2025, Aston Martin Lagonda launching electric sports cars and SUVs also by 2025 from its HQ in Gaydon, and LEVC providing the only dedicated EV factory for the London Taxi and the recently launched electric VN5 in the growing ‘one-tonne’ van sector.
As well as the electrification of the automotive industry, an expansive supply chain provides a wide range of components to increase vehicle efficiency and so reduce energy consumption and demand: from the likes of Autins Group, producing lightweight thermal and acoustic materials to enable manufacturers to develop lighter cars, to Lightning Hybrids International providing hydraulic hybrid technology to harness brake power.
Other automotive world leaders:
- UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, Coventry (see pages 23)
- HORIBA MIRA (see pages 23)
- National Automotive Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick
- The Centre for Advanced Low Carbon Propulsion Systems (C-ALPS)
- Hypromag Limited recycling rare earth magnets
- Warwick Manufacturing Group
- Dennis Eagle first all-electric refuse collection vehicle plant