New Oxfordshire battery plant will bring 300 jobs

Published by

Sam Pither

A new battery plant set to be opened in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, by WAE Technologies will bring around 300 new jobs to the area.

According to ITV, the news was confirmed by the firm, which started out as the technical offshoot of the Williams Formula 1 team, after it was announced by owner Andrew Forrest at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos.

He told the broadcaster: “We invested heavily in British technology, British knowhow and British work ethic last year.

“But then we’ve said: ‘Listen, it’s great you’ve got the most advanced, innovative prototype batteries in the world… but we’ve got to get into manufacturing’.

“So last year, we started building a large factory in Kidlington. We’ll open it in April. It will [create] hundreds and hundreds of new British jobs.”

The news follows days after Britishvolt, an electric car battery firm, fell into administration making most of its around 300 workers redundant. In the wake of this, the parliamentary business committee has launched an inquiry into the supply of batteries for electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK.

Featured image: iStock

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.