London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 23, 2025

Britain's battery industry doomed by government, Britishvolt co-founder claims

Britain's battery industry doomed by government, Britishvolt co-founder claims

Britishvolt co-founder Orral Nadjari, speaking to Sky News in his first interview since the firm's collapse, claims government bureaucracy and delays were to blame for the company's failure.

Britain has now missed its window of opportunity to build a battery industry, and the government, including Rishi Sunak, is largely to blame, the head of collapsed cell manufacturer Britishvolt has told Sky News.

The company was feted as the jewel in Britain's manufacturing crown - the first home-grown gigafactory, co-financed by the government and turning out electric car batteries from its plant in the North East - but went into administration earlier this year.

Now, in his first interview since its implosion, co-founder Orral Nadjari blamed government bureaucracy for its failure.

"We lost that window of opportunity," said Mr Nadjari. "We already are behind East Asia. We're already behind continental Europe. The UK, unfortunately, has lost out or is losing out on the gigafactory economy, which is massive in terms of job creation.

"Unfortunately we didn't see that same support from the Conservative government in order to level up the North East. Because the North East wasn't as important for them as maybe other places in this country."

It comes as Vauxhall's parent company Stellantis called on the government to renegotiate its Brexit deal with the EU, telling a parliamentary committee's inquiry on electric vehicle production it was no longer able to meet trade rules on where parts are sourced.

Early investors 'to be hit hardest'

Stellantis' warning was echoed by Ford, who said in a statement tariffs will penalise companies that invested early in electric vehicles the hardest.

The industry, Ford said, "does not have sufficient supply of locally-sourced batteries and components to meet demand".

"Tightening the trade rules at this point risks undermining the switch to EVs with tariffs and adding pointless cost to customers wanting to go green.

"Manufacturers who have invested heavily early in the transition will be hardest hit by tariffs because combustion engine vehicles will continue to move tariff-free."

'Fatal delay'

Britishvolt had planned to build a large scale battery factory - a so-called gigafactory - at a site on the North East coast near Blyth.

The plans were hailed by the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson as "part of our Green Industrial Revolution" and the site was visited by then Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.

But while the government agreed in principle to provide funds to help the company build the factory, Mr Nadari told Sky News the Treasury repeatedly dragged its heels.

He said even after all the necessary paperwork had been done, the relevant papers sat on the then Chancellor Rishi Sunak's desk for months before being formally approved.

That delay was fatal, Mr Nadjari alleged, because it meant that Britishvolt ended up trying to raise most of its money at a period of war and sky-high inflation, when global investment was cratering.

"Nobody could foresee a two digit inflation, that the country hasn't seen since 1955," he said, adding that Britishvolt was "caught between a rock and a hard place" as Mr Sunak and Boris Johnson battled during the former prime minister's last days in office.

"Nobody could foresee three different prime ministers, four different chancellors… The UK saw a very turbulent time… and for a startup, what is important is that continuous capital injection and that really halted off and unfortunately because of that rivalry, we were hit with a delay."
Orral Nadjari founded the company


Claims 'completely untrue'


The government disputes the timeline provided by Mr Nadjari, arguing that the final decision was awaiting approval for barely more than two months - as opposed to more than four - though it conceded it did insist on extensive due diligence before agreeing to provide public money.

A spokesperson said: "These claims are completely untrue. Taxpayer money must always be used responsibly which is why full due diligence was undertaken before a final grant offer was made.

"The grant offer, which was welcomed and accepted by the company, included an agreement that funds could only be drawn when agreed milestones are met, such as those on securing private investment. Unfortunately, these conditions were not met, and despite significant engagement from government, a solution was not found.

"The government remains committed to Levelling Up across the UK and is actively engaging with companies to secure investments that will ensure the UK remains a world leader in automotive manufacturing".

'No misappropriation of funds'


Following the collapse of Brtishvolt, allegations surfaced about whether its bosses, including Mr Nadjari, had been running the company responsibly.

In particular, there were stories about use of private jets, about a mansion near the company's Blyth site which it rented for the use of executives and about large sums spent on computers and yoga lessons.

Mr Nadjari said: "Having a wellness instructor as a preventative measure for people's health is economical. To be able to do that virtually for 300 people at a low cost of roughly £2,000 to £3,000 a month - that is very economical.

"There was no misappropriation of funds because not a single penny was spent on a private jet. £100,000 went to, as you say, a 'mansion'… but it was a large house. And if you look at the cost of renting a hotel room for that many people during that period of time, it was far more economical to rent a house.

"The fact that it happened to have a pool, that wasn't working for 18 months by the way, has nothing to do with it."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×