Mayor of London visits Coventry EV factory

Sadiq Khan has visited Coventry’s electric vehicle (EV) factory to highlight London’s commitment to the levelling up agenda. 

During his visit last week (October 15) Sadiq Khan was joined by the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street.

The purpose of this visit is to highlight London’s commitment to building bridges between London and the rest of the country and showcase how London can help with the national pandemic recovery.

London’s infrastructure now accounts for approximately one-third of the UK’s total charge points.

New modelling from Transport for London estimates that by 2030 London could need 40,000 – 60,000 charge points, of which up to 4,000 will be rapid charge points, that could fully charge a vehicle in as little as 20 minutes.

It is thought that public sector land could accommodate around 1,000 of the rapid charge points London may need, representing an important contribution to London’s charging infrastructure.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘I’m committed to building bridges between London and the rest of our country and showcasing how the capital can help the national recovery and the levelling up agenda.

‘Together, Capita’s TfL contracts and the state-of-the-art London Electric Vehicle Company in Coventry employ 2,200 people in the West Midlands and North of England, showing clearly how London relies on the skills of other regions and that investment in our capital can help create quality green jobs across the country.

‘Tackling the climate crisis and growing our economy across the UK is about regions working together and investing in new technologies. London is ready and willing to play its part in ensuring a strong and green national recovery from this terrible pandemic.’

The Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, added: ‘This visit by the Mayor of London shows how vital the West Midlands is to the wider UK economy, as well as how we’re a key player in the fight against climate change.

‘Not only is the phenomenal Coventry-based LEVC helping both our region and the capital tackle the climate emergency with their state-of-the-art electric taxis, but just down the road we also have Capita using their West Midlands base to control London’s Ultra-low Emission Zone.

‘The work these two companies are doing with London is testament to how levelling up the West Midlands will be critical to the UK’s future success.’

Photo by Alex Motoc