English bus manufacturer Switch Mobility has held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new advanced manufacturing and technology facility in Valladolid, Spain.
The 35-acre site in Valladolid is Switch Mobility’s first centre in continental Europe. It will consist of two production lines and will be entirely carbon neutral.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility was attended by Raquel Sanchez Jimenez, Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda; Alfonso Fernandez Mañueco, President of the Region of Castilla y León; and Oscar Puente, Mayor of Valladolid.
Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman of Switch Mobility, said:I am delighted that we have broken ground on Switch Mobility’s new state-of-the art facility in Valladolid. With a rich automotive history, strong supply chain and availability of engineering talent, Valladolid is an ideal location for the facility, and I would like to express my appreciation to the national and regional governments for supporting the project. I am hopeful that this facility will address the increasing requirements in Europe, which is poised for significant growth in the EV Mobility segment.
Construction on the new manufacturing facility is now due to begin, and the first buses are expected to be produced within 12 months.
With a planned investment of 100 million EUR over the next ten years, the facility will help the local area’s economic progression, while also creating an estimated 7,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region.
Andy Palmer, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Switch Mobility, said:The past year has been one of considerable progress for Switch. We have established a presence in the UK, India and now Continental Europe, have an order book of over 500 electric buses and have covered more than 50 million kilometres with our current electric products. Beginning the development of our site in Spain is a key milestone in our global growth strategy.
Phase one of the new development will house production of Switch Mobility’s new 12-metre bus, which has been designed specifically for the European market. Phases two and three will add battery assembly capabilities and will enable the facility to produce Switch Mobility’s zero carbon light commercial vehicles from 2024.
