Britain’s only hand made electric car company is planning to conquer America amid a major sales boom in eco-friendly vehicles. RWB Electric Cars is set to build a plant stateside as it bids to tap into a market estimated to be worth $16billion by 2034.
The Virginia plant – currently in the planning phase – will create jobs and act as an international hub for EV development in a move that means the bespoke car company will expand from Lichfield, Staffordshire, to the Mid-Atlantic.
Boss Peter Swain said: “We are expecting the international facility to be open in late 2025 or early 2026 and this will complement [Lichfield], which will always be our HQ. We see the American expansion as the perfect vehicle for increasing our domestic workforce as well.”
The transatlantic move will also see its Black Country partner Teepee Electrical, based in Bloxwich, West Mids, open its own operation nearby.
RBW, named after Peter’s daughters Rose, Becky and racing driver son Wesley, was started in 2017 and hand-builds all-electric iconic sports cars at its 28,000sq ft facility. It has sold more than 300 of its Roadster and GT models globally after delivering its first car to a UK client in January 2022.
The anticipated demand in customers and dealers who want the refinement and features of a classic British hand-built car with modern comforts and a fully electric drivetrain sparked the US invasion.
RBW is now putting the finishing touches to the launch of its first international operation, which will act as a second manufacturing plant to support an expected explosion in sales.
Peter said: “The interest in what we are doing is huge, with 334 cars already sold and our showrooms in Bermuda, Hong Kong and in London proving extremely popular. We’ve captured the imagination and now we need to deliver, which is why getting our supply chain right is so important.
“Teepee Electrical is the perfect example. We don’t want traditional automotive supplier relationships based purely on cost and constant demands. Instead, we prefer to develop long-term partnerships where we benefit from outstanding engineering expertise and there are mutual benefits throughout.”
The boost comes as Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata confirmed plans to build its flagship electric car battery factory in the UK.
The new plant in Somerset is expected to create 4,000 UK jobs and thousands more in the wider supply chain.
Tata said it would invest £4billion in the site, but it is understood the Government is also providing subsidies worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
It has been described as the most important investment in UK automotive since Nissan arrived in the 1980s.
Steve Clarke, managing director of Teepee Electrical, said: “We are very proud of our British manufacturing roots, so it is a big honour to be named as an official partner for this exciting project.
“There is nothing like RBW and it is very pleasing to see how Peter and his team are so committed to designing and manufacturing the cars in the West Midlands, the original heart of the UK’s automotive sector. With volumes expected to rise to hundreds of cars a year, this represents a great opportunity for us to grow too.”