PM promises improved infrastructure to secure Rivian’s £1bn investment
Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has promised to construct a new motorway junction and revive an old rail link as part of a series of measures to tempt Rivian to base their £1bn electric vehicle (EV) factory in the UK, reports the Telegraph.
The Prime Minister has written to Rivian’s chief executive, RJ Scaringe, to try and convince the company to choose the 635-acre Gravity business park near Bristol as the site for its new manufacturing hub. The Government is believed to be facing competition from Serbia and at least one other European country.
The Financial Times reported that improved transport links to the site would includ a new motorway junction with the M5 and the reopening of an old rail link to aid in the distribution of parts and raw materials.
The plan would also be subject to a special development order, to speed up planning permission in unusual circumstances where government intervention is deemed necessary.
In a letter seen by Sky News, the PM said: “The UK’s innovation scene is thriving due to the steps my government has taken to invest in the electrification of the automotive sector underpinned by my personal commitment to the industry.”
If Mr Johnson succeeds, it will be a huge coup for the UK automotive sector and will follow commitments from Japanese carmaker Nissan to invest in UK car making and decarbonisation.
Nissan pledged earlier this month to put its Sunderland plant at the heart of its European push into electric cars.
Image: courtesy Rivian newsroom
