Automotive sector leaders have challenged the UK’s main political parties to provide the conditions which ensure the key industry is able to survive in the transition to electric vehicles.
Representatives from the car manufacturing industry – which plays a key role in the North East economy – are meeting this week at the Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders (SMMT)’s international summit, where a five-point plan for the future of the industry has been published.
Concerns for the future of the automotive sector have been raised in recent months, with repeated setbacks to the Britishvolt scheme in Northumberland highlighting the difficulty of building the battery gigafactories needed to supply car makers. There are also fears that post-Brexit trade rules affecting electric vehicles could lead to UK plants closing down.
