Rugby’s Member of Parliament, Mark Pawsey, brought his colleagues on the powerful Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee to see the work taking place at the London EV Company’s (LEVC’s) factory at Ansty near Rugby.
The visit formed part of the Committee’s ongoing Inquiry into developing the market and infrastructure for electric vehicles. In particular, the committee is looking at the ways in which the UK will need to adapt national infrastructure, such as the electricity grid or the need for new charging points as part of the Government’s target to end the sales of new diesel and petrol driven cars by 2020.
During the Committee’s visit, they spoke to senior representatives of the LEVC about the innovations the business is making in the electric vehicles market and their plans for the future which will create jobs and growth in Rugby and the surrounding area. The Committee also visited the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre in Milton Keynes, where they were able to discuss the challenges facing the electric vehicles market, including the lack of compatibility between some different types of chargers and vehicles. This could represent a barrier to those wishing to buy and electric car and Mark is keen that the Government acts to ensure that everyone who wants to buy an electric car is able to do so.
Speaking after the visit, Mark said:
“I was delighted to be able to highlight with other members of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee the innovation taking place at Ansty, in Rugby constituency, in developing electric vehicles. Since opening, the London EV Company’s new factory at Ansty has been a real success story for the local area. Alongside Jaguar Land Rover’s investment in nearby Coventry, this represents an opportunity for Rugby, and the West Midlands, to lead the way in this exciting field and bring more skilled jobs to our region.”
Mark continued:
“Following the Committee’s visit, I was able to raise some of the concerns we have heard from businesses involved in developing electric vehicles in Parliament when I asked the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy what steps the Government can take to encourage the industry to adopt a standard compatibility for charging points. I was pleased that in his answer, the Secretary of State confirmed that the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill will include provisions to regulate these technical standards.”
Richard Gordon, Commercial Director at the LEVC added:
“We were privileged to welcome the BEIS Select Committee to Ansty to learn about our operations at the UK’s first ever car plant dedicated to electric vehicles. The work the committee does is vital in informing government policy and specifically on how we can speed up the delivery of vital electric vehicle charge points required to deliver the zero emission future we want to see.”