COVENTRY City Councillor Jim O’Boyle has called on the government to take immediate action on what he calls the ‘death of the UK automotive industry.’
British car production was the lowest in 66 years in 2022, and recently released figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that annual car production fell 9.8 per cent in 2022.
This is despite record levels of electric vehicle production, which represents a third of all UK-made cars and worth £10 billion in exports alone.
And Coun O’Boyle has called on the government to safeguard the industry’s future by increasing investment in battery and electric vehicle manufacturing.
He added if this doesn’t happen, he fears manufacturers will go elsewhere risking existing jobs and future green jobs.
Coun O’Boyle also urged the government to back the West Midlands Gigafactory project as part of a support package for the sector.
The project alone is expected to create up to 6,000 new jobs, attracting a £2.5billion investment.
He said: “This is serious and as a country we need to act now.
“The silence in the commitment of the government in this area is deafening and we are sleepwalking into what could be the death of the UK automotive industry unless they do something fast.
“Manufacturers are making decisions now and there are Gigafactories to make the batteries to run the electric cars of the future popping up all over Europe and the world but there are none in the UK and no sign there will be any time soon.”
“The figures from the SMMT should be a wake-up call as they set out starkly how a failure to invest in the technologies needed for electric vehicles is holding the UK automotive sector back. And this includes Coventry.
“Now is not the time for dithering. The choice is clear – this government needs to act now and ensure a future in the green industrial revolution.”
