Switch Mobility facility to be built in Spain’s Soto de Medinilla

CHENNAI: Ashok Leyland's electric vehicle subsidiary

Switch Mobility

has confirmed its new manufacturing and technology centre will be built on a greenfield site in the Soto de Medinilla area of Valladolid, Spain.

The 140,000 sq mt site, situated within convenient access of the centre of Valladolid, has been selected from a number of suitable locations within the Castilla y Leon region.

"The location benefits from strong infrastructure links by road and will enable Switch to develop the facility in several phases, starting with bus production and R&D," said the company in a statement. "The site is also perfectly situated to take advantage of the strong automotive supply base within the region."

With construction due to commence shortly, Switch executive VC and CEO Dr Andy Palmer was joined by

Eva Driessen

, president of

Switch Iberia

and members of the executive team, to plant several trees onsite to celebrate the announcement. These are the first of 2,000 trees Switch will plant in Spain over the coming year – one for every direct job it expects to create at the new manufacturing and technology centre – in support of the company’s commitment to sustainability.

The new facility will be entirely carbon neutral throughout the construction process and continue to operate at a carbon neutral level during vehicle production.

Dr Andy Palmer, executive vice-chairman and CEO of Switch Mobility Ltd, said: “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. 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 18, we look forward to commencing construction imminently and seeing our first buses in production within the next 12 months.”

Switch’s new manufacturing and technical centre will house production of its first electric bus designed specifically for the European market. The new 12 metre product will build on the technology that has seen Switch become a global leader in electric buses since delivering the first British built, electric buses to Transport for London in 2014.