Mayor announces £50m electric vehicle jobs plan

The region will cement its status as the car-making capital of the UK under an automotive support package announced today by Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.

Match funded grants are being made available to help businesses capitalise on new opportunities in fast-growing electric vehicle supply chains. 

From today, suppliers can apply for a share of the £50million West Midlands Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund and put themselves in pole position to win new contracts, create hundreds of new skilled jobs and protect thousands more. 

Companies manufacturing parts and components, delivering specialist services or providing technical expertise to the automotive sector will be eligible for funding. They will be able to use it to invest in new equipment, skills and production capacity. 

This is one of two regions to secure government investment and it will unlock a further £50milion from the private sector. 

The Mayor said: “The West Midlands is still the engine room of the UK motor industry. It’s one of our great economic strengths and why I put it at the heart of my Growth Plan to create skilled jobs with higher wages.  

“This is a big investment by government because it knows how crucial the success of our region’s automotive sector is to the wider UK economy. It will help secure that success and make sure our manufacturers, suppliers and innovators stay ahead as the global market moves ever faster towards electrification.” 

The West Midlands has one of the UK’s largest automotive sectors with 1,000 companies employing more than 46,000 people developing state-of-the-art EV and battery technology, making cars, parts, and engine components. 

The West Midlands Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund is a four-year programme run by the West Midlands Combined Authority and funded through the government’s DRIVE35 initiative. 

Industry Minister Chris McDonald said: “Through our Modern Industrial Strategy we're delivering £4 billion into zero emission vehicle manufacturing, marking the biggest investment into the car industry since the post-war era and driving economic growth and innovation across the country. 

“Strengthening supply chain resilience is paramount, which is why we're investing £100million in the West Midlands and North East to electrify manufacturing, boosting supply chains and securing jobs in local communities.” 

The Mayor formally opened up the fund to applications in a speech today at the Advanced Propulsion Centre, based at the University of Warwick. 

The centre is jointly funded by the Department for Business and Trade and the automotive industry to drive research and investment in zero-emission vehicle manufacturing.  

Professor David Greenwood, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and director for industrial engagement at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), University of Warwick, has backed the fund.

He said: “With this announcement, following soon after the launch of the £50M Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, and aligned with investments in the Coventry and Warwick Investment Zone, the West Midlands is now in a much stronger position to deliver its regional growth plan and in doing so, to support the UK Industrial Strategy for the automotive sector.”

The Mayor is also supporting the EV sector with other significant WMCA funding including: 

• £23m for a battery manufacturing and technology hub at the Coventry & Warwickshire Investment Zone site 

• Another 10,000 publicly accessible EV charging connection points – including a network of ultra-rapid ‘filling’ stations 

• Rollout of a zero-emission bus fleet