Blyth battery factory in doubt...

motownjunk said:
I stand corrected. I do know quite a few people that have left the batteries project. Research were being asked to move elsewhere so got other jobs.
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According to a lad I know who worked at JM (he left when they were in consultation earlier this year).. The JM plant and staff transfers over to EVM tomorrow so hopefully big things in Teesside along with the LIOH plant planned aswell (y) (y)
 
Can a large battery factory survive having Aston Martin and Lotus as its main customers?

I would have thought it needs a 50k batteries a year contract.
 
Redwurzel said:
Can a large battery factory survive having Aston Martin and Lotus as its main customers?

I would have thought it needs a 50k batteries a year contract.
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They don't have Aston Martin and Lotus as customers.

As the article has said "Britishvolt has already struck memorandums of understanding to make batteries for UK car firms Aston Martin and Lotus."

That in effect is nothing more than an intention to work together in the future. One of the problems is that Britishvolt have promised prototypes to both Lotus and Aston and not delivered, but also that they aren't likely to be in a position to physically produce anything for either company in the near future, even if they successfully launch products.

Aston are likely to need their first products in 2025 and Lotus not until 2026. That's not speculation - it's how Britishvolt announced the collaborations.

The government should really step in here and take control of the situation or we'll end up losing the majority of the automotive sector we currently have, never mind grow it.
 
Unravel_Morrison said:
They don't have Aston Martin and Lotus as customers.

As the article has said "Britishvolt has already struck memorandums of understanding to make batteries for UK car firms Aston Martin and Lotus."

That in effect is nothing more than an intention to work together in the future. One of the problems is that Britishvolt have promised prototypes to both Lotus and Aston and not delivered, but also that they aren't likely to be in a position to physically produce anything for either company in the near future, even if they successfully launch products.

Aston are likely to need their first products in 2025 and Lotus not until 2026. That's not speculation - it's how Britishvolt announced the collaborations.

The government should really step in here and take control of the situation or we'll end up losing the majority of the automotive sector we currently have, never mind grow it.
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Like you say though, they don't have any customers.

I think there is a big danger here that the government is backing the wrong horse in terms of batteries.
 
thewanderer said:
Like you say though, they don't have any customers.

I think there is a big danger here that the government is backing the wrong horse in terms of batteries.
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The thing is that it needs to back a horse or you risk losing the whole sector, while we are outside the EU, due to Rules of Origin.

There's a six year phase in of the RoO agred in the UK-EU TCA where local content has to be increased to 55% from 40%.

All we really have at the moment is the Nissan plant that can supply around 50K Leaf's a year.

The UK makes more than a million cars a year.

We need to get this sorted quickly.
 
Unravel_Morrison said:
They don't have Aston Martin and Lotus as customers.

As the article has said "Britishvolt has already struck memorandums of understanding to make batteries for UK car firms Aston Martin and Lotus."

That in effect is nothing more than an intention to work together in the future. One of the problems is that Britishvolt have promised prototypes to both Lotus and Aston and not delivered, but also that they aren't likely to be in a position to physically produce anything for either company in the near future, even if they successfully launch products.
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I believe they did make prototypes, just not at Blyth.
 
magic beans project, polished up and hyped by a government desperate to show that their plan for UK PLC is working in a post Brexit Apocalypse.
 
I was looking a head a bit - realistic future customers.

I know there is no current customers, because the plant has not even been started.

What I was surprised is that there is no mention of Nissan as a potential customer, only approx 35 miles away.
 
Redwurzel said:
I was looking a head a bit - realistic future customers.

I know there is no current customers, because the plant has not even been started.

What I was surprised is that there is no mention of Nissan as a potential customer, only approx 35 miles away.
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As mentioned before Nissan has its own battery plant. The numbers they are talking about for the Blyth factory the majority of production will surely be for export mainly to the EU.
 
motownjunk said:
As mentioned before Nissan has its own battery plant. The numbers they are talking about for the Blyth factory the majority of production will surely be for export mainly to the EU.
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I think they were hoping to get JLR or one of the other UK based manufacturing sites to come in. It wouldn't amaze me if JLR ended up taking over the site. Their Slovakian operation can be supplied from any of the EU battery manufacturing sites.

If they continue working with Magna Steyr then that would also be the same.
 
motownjunk said:
As mentioned before Nissan has its own battery plant. The numbers they are talking about for the Blyth factory the majority of production will surely be for export mainly to the EU.
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Can't see it tbh, batteries are very heavy and tricky to transport, any shipper will want a high premium to move them, if they do at all.

Battery plants will end up being built as close as possible to their end destination.
 
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