8:46 am, September 13, 2022
Former Lotus board member and engineering director Richard Moore has been appointed as one of the key battery experts at the West Midlands Gigafactory.
A public joint venture between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport, the gigafactory has the potential to become Britain’s largest cell factory, creating 60GWh per year through sustainable energy sources.
It’s already in ‘advanced discussions’ with global battery manufacturers about a site, with battery production for electric vehicles set to start in 2025.
The development would create up to 6,000 direct jobs, as well as thousands more in the supply chain.
Learn more about the West Midlands Gigafactory
- Plans for UK’s biggest gigafactory get support from Boris Johnson after local councils give green light
- West Midlands Gigafactory gets another thumbs up in major boost for automotive industry
- West Midlands Gigafactory moves step closer after being given go-ahead by planning committee
- Transport secretary accused of spending public money to lobby against West Midlands Gigafactory
- Further plans unveiled to develop UK’s largest gigafactory in Coventry
- Plans submitted for Coventry’s new gigafactory with hopes that 6,000 jobs could be created
- Coventry gigafactory gets Commons backing
- Gigafactory could ‘plug in’ to Coventry’s mature automotive supply chain and create thousands of jobs
- Government to plough £28m into EV battery development in Coventry
During his time with Lotus, Moore was in charge of engineering the firm’s sports cars, including the new electric Evija hypercar.
He has worked as chief engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, helping to lead the electrification engineering programme for many of the firm’s products, including the I-Pace.
He said: ‘I am hugely excited to be joining the team behind the West Midlands Gigafactory. This is a significantly important project for the region, the British automotive and domestic energy industries and the UK as we transition to an electrified economy.
‘I hope to be able to use my full experience to bring the project to fruition, with strategic advice and assistance in the ongoing discussions with the global battery industry.”
More than 400 specialist automotive and battery technology companies currently call the West Midlands their home, with over a third of the UK’s automotive employees in the area.
