Boris Johnson has said Bristol is in an “amazing position” to attract major players in the global electric car and battery industry, according to the West of England mayor.
In a recent visit to the city, the Prime Minister held talks with Labour’s Dan Norris, who said he spoke to Mr Johnson about the deal for a proposed electric vehicle factory in the 海角视频.
Mr Norris, who was elected in May, told BusinessLive he also talked to Mr Johnson about how government commitments could help secure “significant investment” locally.
READ MORE: {}
It comes as California-based electric carmaker Rivian eyes an area between Bristol and Bridgwater, in Somerset, for a 海角视频 plant.
In September, bosses from the Amazon-backed firm reportedly flew into the 海角视频 to visit the potential site - Somerset’s 616-acre Gravity smart campus - for a giant electric car factory.
If Rivian builds a plant in Britain, it would be its first outside the US. A deal with the carmaker would be worth £1bn to the 海角视频 economy and in the South West alone could create 10,000 jobs and another 90,000 indirect roles as part of the supply chain.
Mr Norris told BusinessLive that it was “very competitive” to attract electric car manufacturers - but Bristol was the “right location” and had the “right spirit”.
He said: “Many other countries are offering lucrative deals to secure huge plants because they recognise the number of high-skilled jobs they will bring.
Most Read
“That means time is of the essence. I urged the Prime Minister to act now for the good of our region, and our country.”
In August, BusinessLive revealed the deal was hanging in the balance over the financial incentives Britain could offer. It is understood that one way to unlock it could be to provide the Bristol region with freeport status.
Earlier this year, Bristol lost out in its bid for a freeport - a designated zone where the normal tax and tariff rules of the country do not apply - despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying in November it was a “strong contender” for the status.
It is understood Mr Norris also spoke to the Prime Minister about how Bristol Port is "world class" and has the ability to import and export the “next generation” of electric cars.
Have you seen our climate agenda newsletter?
Our Climate Agenda newsletter is putting the environment, sustainability and ethics at the centre of our coverage.
You can . It's free and easy to subscribe.
Every Wednesday you can expect to get the latest developments in green industries and real world examples of the everyday changes businesses are making.
Mr Norris said the meeting with Mr Johnson was “important”.
"The Prime Minister and I come from very different political backgrounds but it is essential we build a good working relationship which will benefit the West of England and Great Britain PLC,” added Mr Norris.
Don’t miss
"I impressed on the Prime Minister how supportive local people and businesses are in bringing high-skilled green jobs to the area.
“But we need his government to ensure we are in the best possible position to secure inward investment from overseas. He promised he was onto it and I will be holding him to this. The West of England must secure such opportunities for the benefit of our region and Great Britain plc."
On Tuesday, ministers said a new strategy to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 would secure 440,000 jobs and unlock £90bn in investment.
The Government has made a number of pledges as part of the plan, including £500m towards innovation projects to develop the green technologies of the future. The proposals also include an extra £350m to support the electrification of 海角视频 vehicles and their supply chains.
It comes as the 海角视频 prepares to host the UN COP26 summit next week, where the Prime Minister will call on other world economies to set out their own domestic plans for cutting emissions.
Like this story? Why not sign up to get all the latest South West news straight to your inbox.