Switch Mobility held a groundbreaking ceremony on 18 March to mark the start of work on its new advanced manufacturing facility in Valladolid, Spain. The ceremony 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. A foundation stone was laid by Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman of Switch Mobility, to mark the occasion.
The first buses are expected to be produced within 12 months at the 35-acre site in Valladolid, Switch’s first in continental Europe. The plant will comprise two production lines and has been designed to be entirely carbon neutral from inception. With €100 million of investment planned for the site over the next decade, Switch believes the facility will play a key role in rejuvenating the Soto de Medinilla area around Valladolid as well as creating an estimated 7,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region.
Phase one of the new development will house production of Switch’s new 12m bus designed for the European market. Phases two and three will add battery assembly capabilities and production of Switch’s zero carbon LCV from 2024 onwards.
Dheeraj 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.”
Vice Chairman and CEO Andy Palmer commented: “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.”
