Longbow opens 200-job EV factory in Nuneaton

Longbow, a British carmaker, will start hand‑built production of its electric Speedster sports car at Mira Tech Park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, next year. The company plans to launch the limited‑edition model in the spring, with the Roadster to follow. The plant will be the first of its kind in the region and will focus on low‑volume, high‑quality vehicles that keep weight and cost down.

The West Midlands government is backing the venture with £3 million from a £50 million Supplier Readiness and Transformation fund. Mayor Richard Parker said the money will strengthen the local supply chain and create more than 200 skilled jobs. Longbow will match‑fund the grant and aims to produce up to 10,000 cars a year. The region’s long history of car manufacturing and its network of designers and engineers give the company confidence that the best place to build these cars is in the UK.

The Speedster has already attracted a global waiting list, with buyers ready to pay around £85,000. At a test track at Mira, the all‑British prototype demonstrated how a lightweight sports car can move from concept to production in less than two years, thanks to regional expertise. Longbow says the UK is particularly good at building lightweight electric vehicles, and that the local talent base will help keep the cars both high‑performance and low‑weight.

Daniel Davey, Longbow’s co‑CEO, said, “You cannot build this car anywhere else in the world. If you did, you would be importing UK components.” Mayor Parker echoed the sentiment, noting that the West Midlands has built cars for 130 years and is now the best place for a new generation of makers. Professor David Bailey added that Longbow’s approach shows the UK can compete in low‑volume, high‑margin electric sports cars, but that broader support for the auto industry is still needed.