British EV maker Switch Mobility has confirmed that its new manufacturing and technology centre will come up in the Soto de Medinilla area of Valladolid in Spain. The 28-acre site will be transformed into a manufacturing and R&D hub for its electric buses and light commercial vehicles.
The company also said the Valladolid facility will house the production of its first electric bus designed specifically for the European market. The new 12-metre e-bus will build on the technology that has made Switch a global player in electric buses, it added.
"We are delighted to have selected Valladolid as the location for our first manufacturing site in continental Europe. The region's wealth of quality engineers and strong supply chain, combined with Spain's desire to be a leader in electric buses, make the Soto De Medinella area the perfect location", said Dr. Andy Palmer, CEO and Executive Vice Chairman of Switch Mobility.
"This new facility will provide us with crucial access to the European bus and light commercial vehicle market. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, which have resulted in the ground-breaking ceremony being postponed until March 18th, we look forward to commencing construction imminently and seeing our first buses in production within the next 12 months", Dr. Palmer added.
Utilizing the latest NMC battery technology, Switch's bespoke data analytics systems, and lightweight construction methodology, the upcoming electric bus will optimize the TCO for local authorities and operators, enabling the decarbonization of cities and key routes across Europe, said Switch Mobility - a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland - in a press statement.
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