The West Midlands Gigafactory joint venture has appointed battery industry technology expert Richard Moore to spearhead its strategy and global contact with leading cell manufacturers. The appointment will support the investment into, and development of, what will become the UK’s largest gigafactory.
It will supply advanced lithium-ion batteries.
The JV said Richard Moore is a highly experienced global automotive battery expert with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. He was previously a board member and Executive Engineering Director at Lotus, where he led the engineering of all sports cars, including the Evija electric hypercar.
Previous high-profile industry roles include being Chief Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, where he led the electrification engineering for propulsion systems across all Jaguar and Land Rover product programmes, including the Jaguar I-PACE, the company’s first all-electric vehicle. In these roles, Moore worked closely with Chinese battery manufacturers, including CATL and BYD.
Moore 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.”
The 60GWH per annum West Midlands Gigafactory is based in the automotive skills capital of the UK, the heart of the UK’s manufacturing sector. It is closer to almost every car manufacturer plant than any other proposed gigafactory in the UK.
The West Midlands Gigafactory is a public-private joint venture between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport Ltd. It is already in advanced discussions with global battery manufacturers to occupy the site, which can be production ready from 2025, to begin supplying high-tech batteries for electric vehicles.
Picture caption: West Midlands Gigafactory appoints leading EV and battery industry expert Richard Moore.
