Select committee: Science and Technology Committee
Conclusion 23
1st report - Battery strategy goes flat: Net-zero target at risk
Published 27 Jul 2021
Paragraph 149
Science and Technology Committee Role of batteries and fuel cells in achieving Net Zero All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The UK is competing with other countries to attract automotive battery manufacturing. Failure to do so would likely lead to vehicle manufacturing moving elsewhere. Recent announcements of future increases in the manufacture of cells and electric vehicles are welcome, but are still insufficient to meet anticipated demand. The Government will need to commit further funds for gigafactories, supply chains and training ahead of the 2027 and 2030 deadlines, to ensure that the UK’s automotive sector can maintain manufacturing at its current scale. These resources will have to reach from research through to manufacturing, and will have to be commensurate to those of international competitors.
From: Science and Technology Committee, 1st report - Battery strategy goes flat: Net-zero target at risk, paragraph 149, 27 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 27 September 2021 (deadline 27 September 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government sets out support already in place or planned across batteries, charging, freight and hydrogen, and ties future battery research funding to the Spending Review 2021.
- On supply chains, it states it is "committed to supporting the automotive sector", with £500m of the Automotive Transformation Fund available over four years as the first part of "up to £1 billion".
- On charging, it says it "recognise[s] the need to accelerate" the public network, will provide £1.3 billion over four years, and will publish an EV Infrastructure Strategy "later this year".
- On HGVs, the consultation closed on 3 September and it is analysing responses; it "intend[s] to announce phase out dates as soon as possible".
- On fuel cells, it says technology development is "at an earlier stage than in batteries" and that intervention to date has focused on supporting earlier development.