UK electric bus startup plans €100 million manufacturing site in Spain
Switch Mobility, an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has announced that it will be investing €100 million ($112 million) to construct a new manufacturing facility in Spain.
The 35-acre site will be in the Soto de Medinilla area of Valladolid and will serve as the company’s research and development hub and manufacturing facility for electric buses and light commercial vehicles.
Switch Mobility says it selected the Spanish region owing to its strong infrastructure links by road to other potential markets for EVs. The region also enables Switch Mobility to develop the facility in stages.
The project is expected to create 7,000 direct and indirect jobs, and more than 2,000 trees will be planted close to the facility as part of the company’s efforts to contribute to sustainability.
The new facility will be entirely carbon-neutral throughout the construction process and continue to operate at a carbon-neutral level during vehicle production, according to the statement.
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The facility is expected to be operational within the next 12 months to meet the rapidly growing demand for electric vehicles as electrification across Europe intensifies under efforts to meet sustainability targets set as part of the Fit for 55 climate law.
With the UK banning the sale of conventional vehicles by 2030, the demand for EVs is also expected to rise and efforts like Switch Mobility’s are expected to help in meeting the demand.
The facility will produce the company’s first electric bus designed specifically for the European market. The new 12 metre product will build on the technology that Switch Mobility leveraged to deliver the first British-built electric buses to Transport for London in 2014.
Switch Mobility claims its technology will help reduce the total cost of ownership for operators whilst accelerating the decarbonisation of the transport system.
Dr Andy Palmer, the CEO of Switch Mobility Ltd said: “We are delighted to have selected Valladolid as the location for our first manufacturing site in continental Europe. The region’s wealth of quality engineers and strong supply chain, combined with Spain’s desire to be a leader in electric buses, make the Soto De Medinella area the perfect location. This new facility will provide us with crucial access to the European bus and light commercial vehicle market.
