Plan to build Britain’s biggest car battery factory in Somerset looks set to get green light

Britain’s biggest car battery factory looks set to take off in a much-needed boost to the motor industry.

Agratas, a new company within the Tata Group, will today unveil plans to build a gigafactory to produce batteries for electric vehicles (EV) at the Gravity Smart Campus site in Puriton, near Bridgwater, Somerset.

The plant will be the largest of its kind in the country and, by the early 2030s, will provide almost half of the battery manufacturing capacity needed by the UK car industry.

It will also create up to 4,000 jobs and even more across the supply chain.

Construction will be completed in phases and battery production will begin in 2026.

The factory looks set to bolster Britain’s electric vehicle sector, which has had a rocky road last year from the collapse of Britishvolt to the crisis linked to a lack of electric chargers.

Last year, Indian car giant Tata said the site in south-west England had been selected ahead of a rival location in Spain.

It came after lengthy talks between Whitehall officials and the company, as well as a private discussion last May between Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Tata.

Bill Revans, leader of Somerset Council, said: “This is momentous for the county, its economy and for future generations.”