Indian electric car and scooter manufacturer Ola Electric will build a new factory in Coventry focused on engineering and vehicle design.
Ola’s Futurefoundry site in the West Midlands will work alongside the brand’s headquarters in India and will focus on the production of two- and four-wheel vehicle design, advanced high performance automotive engineering, digital and physical modeling, and research and development.
Ola is best known in the UK as an app-based ride-share operator, with its Uber-rivalling service available in London, Birmingham and Cardiff since 2018. But it is now venturing into EV production and aims to launch an electric car and scooter.
The Indian EV manufacturer will invest £100 million over the next five years into the site and will employ more than 200 designers and automotive engineers.
Ola says it plans to partner with “world class education and research institutions in the UK to collaborate on technology research and development.”
“Ola Futurefoundry will enable us to tap into the fantastic automotive design and engineering talent in the UK to create the next generation of electric vehicles,” said Ola boss Bhavish Aggarwal.
Former Jaguar and Geely designer Wayne Burgess is Ola’s design chief. He added: “Ola Futurefoundry is an important step in building a multi-disciplinary team that is agile, flexible, and responsive to the various needs of our consumers around the world.”
Ola has not yet confirmed when the new centre will open.
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