Tesla is looking to lease a new warehouse in Milton Keynes as it seeks to expand its global EV sales with a deal for the space reportedly nearing completion.
The lease on the newly built logistics site, developed by the CBRE-owned Trammell Crow, could see Tesla occupy part of 338,000 sq ft of space, which it would use for storage of batteries for its electric vehicle (EVs).
Tesla is at an advanced stage in talks to take over the factory, according to React News. The deal would be the company’s first major warehouse in the UK, and is expected to be in partnership with logistics firm DB Schenker, who specialise in lithium battery storage. The site also includes capacity for solar panel arrays on the roofs of the buildings as well as charging for EVs.
Electric car sales reached a record high in 2022 and Tesla is looking to capitalise on this growth within the UK. Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 were the two best selling EVs in the UK in 2022 according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Tesla has recently announced projects to build a megapack battery storage factory targeting 40GWh of energy storage capacity in Shanghai as it looks to expand in China.
In 2020, it was reported that Tesla was thought to be considering building a gigafactory in the UK, but the project has not materialised. Tesla has however signed contracts to build battery storage sites with Harmony Energy in 2022, and has supplied megapack batteries for two battery energy storage system (BESS) projects by renewable development company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV)
At present, two thirds of planned lithium-ion battery production capacity in Europe is at risk of delay, downsizing or cancellation, largely due to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the US, according to a study published in March.
