Switch Mobility is to build an advanced manufacturing and technology centre in Castilla y León, Spain, with construction scheduled for January 2022.
It will be Switch’s first facility in continental Europe and will witness an investment of approximately €100m over the next decade.
Two production lines will begin producing buses in quarter four, 2022. Focus will be on building net zero carbon electric vehicles for the European market, and on research and development of Switch’s “next generation” of electric buses and light commercial vehicles. The facility is also expected to serve other global markets including South America.
Castilla y León was chosen as the ideal location due to the region’s “strong automotive supply chain”, transport links and “a high level of skilled automotive engineers and operatives”, Switch Mobility says. It predicts 2,000 talented direct jobs and around 5,000 indirect jobs will be created.
The facility will be powered by renewable energy, with carbon neutrality “a priority” during the construction phase.
“We are delighted that Switch is today launching its first site in continental Europe in the province of Valladolid, Spain where we will benefit greatly from the region’s abundance of talent,” says Dr Andy Palmer, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Switch Mobility. “Supporting our well-established sites in the UK and India, our Spanish facility will provide us with crucial access to the European market.
“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank the Minister of Economy of the Castilla y León Government, Carlos Fernández Carriedo and the Mayor of Valladolid, Oscar Puente, who have been hugely supportive of the project and have worked closely with Switch over the last six months.
“I look forward to building on this relationship as we develop Switch’s advanced, carbon-neutral facility and work with the region to support its transition to a fully electric bus fleet.”
Adds Oscar Puente, Mayor of Valladolid: “Switch Mobility’s project is fully in line with our commitment to industrialise and diversify Valladolid’s industrial make-up. The sustainable mobility policy promoted by Valladolid City Council aims for complete decarbonisation and a rapid transition from combustion vehicles to zero-emission mobility.
“Today is a great day for Valladolid, which gains an industrial project that generates skilled employment, wealth and innovation. A project that represents a better future for our region.”
