Mayor backs electric sports car maker to create hundreds of manufacturing jobs

Pioneering British car maker Longbow is to make its hand-built, electric sports cars in the spiritual home of Britain’s automotive industry, backed by funding from Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.

Longbow is expecting to start production of its limited-edition Speedster at MIRA Tech Park, near Nuneaton, next year followed shortly afterwards by its Roadster model, creating more than 200 skilled jobs.

The automotive firm’s ambition is to manufacture more than 10,000 cars a year, generating new opportunities in local supply chains with models being predominantly made from UK parts.

The Mayor is backing Longbow with a £3m investment from the government-funded £50m West Midlands Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund to accelerate the region’s automotive sector into fast-growing global electric vehicle supply chains. That will be match funded by the company itself.

 

Today’s announcement is another significant moment in the region’s proud history of car making, and a key part of the Mayor’s Growth Plan and his new Reindustrialisation Blueprint, launched at the West Midlands Growth Summit in Coventry today.

The Mayor said: “We’ve been building cars here in West Midlands for 130 years, so what better location for a new generation of carmakers like Longbow. They know this industry inside out and are investing here because this is quite simply the best place in the UK to build a car. 

“This £50m fund is about backing the ambitious, innovative manufacturers and suppliers who will keep the West Midlands in pole position as the global market continues its rapid shift towards electrification. That’s how we’re going to create the highly skilled, well-paid jobs I promised in my Growth Plan. 

“The Prime Minister has recently described our automotive sector as a jewel in the crown of the UK economy, because he knows how important its success is to his own reindustrialisation plan. We’re going to prove him right, with many more investments like this to come.”

Mark Tapscott, co-founder and co-CEO of Longbow, said: “Britain used to be where the world came for light, quick, beautiful sports cars. Somewhere along the way, electric started to mean heavy. We think that’s wrong, and our featherweight cars with their beauty and theatre prove it.

“The West Midlands built the cars that earned Britain that reputation, and MIRA has some of the best facilities on the planet. With the support of the Mayor, our battery and body partners are coming with us.

“The people we train will have skills the whole regional supply chain can use, and that's how you build something that lasts. Something we believe strongly in as we’re building cars that last more than 100 years.”

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “The West Midlands is a powerhouse for automotive manufacturing, and the area will play a huge role in our plan to reindustrialise Britain. This programme is government’s partnership with our Mayors in action: backing regional leaders with the funding they need to help leading local businesses scale up, attract investment and unlock growth.”

 

The Mayor and Secretary of State visited Mira to meet Mark and Longbow’s co-founder Daniel Davey and take a drive in the ‘Speedster’.

Longbow has already established a research and development centre at Mira and will set up a training centre so its workers, both present and future, are qualified to Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) standards.

The start of production will further cement the West Midlands as one of the UK’s largest automotive sectors with 1,000 companies and more than 46,000 people involved in the manufacture of cars, parts, engine components, and the development of state-of-the-art EV and battery technology.

Also benefitting from the first round of funding from the West Midlands Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund are: 

• Birmingham-based Brandauer & Co to create a specialist facility to manufacture large-format tooling used to make EV powertrain components, creating highly skilled engineering and advanced manufacturing jobs.
• PAB in Coventry to invest in its advanced lightweight metallic manufacturing capability and EV-compatible vehicle components, creating 20 new jobs and safeguarding another 80

The fund is a four-year programme run by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and funded through the government’s DRIVE35 initiative.

Match funded grants are available to companies manufacturing parts and components, delivering specialist services or providing technical expertise to the automotive sector so they can capitalise on new opportunities in fast-growing electric vehicle supply chains.

The West Midlands is one of two regions to secure government investment, which will unlock a further £50milion from the private sector.