Members of Parliament (MPs) are calling for the British government to make a bid for Apple to build its long-rumored electric vehicle in the United Kingdom, according to The Telegraph.
James Sunderland, Conservative MP for Bracknell, said that it was a "no brainer" for Britain to build the Apple car, and that the UK government should begin to bid for production contracts with Apple. Nick Fletcher, Conservative MP for Doncaster, added that Apple car production represented an opportunity for "engaging with new, innovative industries that help boost economic growth while helping the environment."
Sunderland, a port city in the north-east of England, is already home to the production of the fully-electric Nissan Leaf in Europe. Marco Longhi, Conservative MP for Dudley North, said Apple could offer a major boost to areas of the UK with long-standing automotive expertise.
"This would be a fantastic investment for the Midlands and the Black Country," he said. "This will mean jobs for people locally and it would be an endorsement of UK plc in a post-Brexit environment."
Considering that the Apple car has not yet been announced, with it looking as though production may not begin for another three years, it is surprising that politicians are already discussing the vehicle. The possibility of Apple car production in the UK may seek to counter the country's loss of a Tesla Gigafactory to Berlin, when Elon Musk was searching for a location for a new European manufacturing hub in 2019.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders, said that the British government is actively working with companies to attract investment into domestic battery gigafactories, and a spokesperson for the UK government's Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy told The Telegraph that they could not comment on speculation around commercial contracts with Apple.
The only location that has seen significant attention for potential Apple car production so far is Kia's West Point plant in the U.S. state of Georgia, but Apple's partnership with Hyundai and Kia on the project has now been brought into question since talks were paused earlier this month.
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