In an effort to expand production of electric vehicle (EV) parts in the UK, Ford has announced a £150m investment in its Halewood plant in Liverpool. The investment represents the increased output which will be needed to position the UK as a leading European EV manufacturer – by 2026 the plant will produce parts for more than two-thirds of all Ford EV’s in Europe.

Net zero ambitions in the UK have become heavily reliant on the successful rollout of electric powered transport, with the objective of one in three new vehicles aiming to be electric by 2023. Leading the sustainable transport movement are e-bikes, the most widely sold electric vehicle in world in 2021, according to a study from Deloitte. However, a combination of Brexit, the pandemic and subsequent war in Ukraine has caused significant supply chain issues for businesses across the world, delaying net zero ambitions. Whilst this situation has improved since its peak at the end of summer 2021 when stock levels for British retailers hit their lowest since 1983, significant hurdles still remain causing increased wait times for customers and halting companies from pushing on with growth plans.

In order to mitigate this, the UK’s top e-bike manufacturer, Swytch Technology, has officially launched a wheel building and fulfilment facility based near Norwich, UK, in November of this year. In a bid to reduce their carbon footprint (reducing number of containers to the UK by 80%), the £100k investment in light manufacturing machinery will create 3-5 direct jobs whilst allowing them to meet huge demand in the UK for the product – with an assembly capacity of up to 5000 units a month. This means Swytch Technology are able to reduce supply chain risks by dual sourcing which allows them to make custom wheels Just In Time (JIT), as part of their efforts to reduce lead times for customers. Aiming to bring more awareness to the sustainability space, they have also released landmark national research which unveils over a quarter (27%) of Brits state they will change to an electric powered mode of transport in the next few years, because of the damage fossil fuels cause the environment.

The London-based tech start-up has witnessed rapid growth in their customer base following the launch of the lightest and smallest e-bike conversion kit in the world – the Swytch Kit. Their R&D efforts serve to better understand how Brits can tackle environmental and financial hurdles caused by the ongoing energy crisis without breaking the bank. Further research reveals nearly 29% of Brits say they will walk or cycle to work to reduce travel fees with a further 26% of Brits say they are struggling to afford public transport to commute five days a week amidst the cost-of-living crisis.

Serving as testament to their innovation, Swytch’s market penetration is set to hit more than 10% of the UK e-bike market, by volume, in 2022. Such is the popularity of the brand in Britain, that the company estimated that 1 in 14 e-bikes currently on the road in the UK are powered by Swytch Kits. Close to 16 million Brits now partake in cycling – the highest level ever recorded in the last five years, according to recent research from Mintel. Projections showed the value of the UK bicycle market rose by around 44% to reach nearly £1.2 billion in 2020, up from £825 million in 2019. Founded in 2017, Swytch Technology has taken the UK’s e-bike market by storm and aims to expand its manufacturing hubs in the UK to help drive Britain’s EV movement.

The new way to cycle: Who are Swytch?

The new Swytch Kit takes you further and faster by converting any regular bicycle into a state-of-the-art e-bike. The conversion kit features a world-first pocket-sized battery (the “Power Pack”) which is similar in size to a large smartphone, weighs just 1.5lbs (700g), recharges in just one hour from your mains power socket, and provides 10 miles range. Increasing the range is as easy as clicking off one battery, and connecting another, or upgrading to the larger battery option available with 20 miles range, and weighing 2.4lbs (1.1kg).

Where can I buy one?

Following the launch of Swytch’s new electric bike conversion kit, the company has been inundated with thousands of orders, and predicts the successful launch of this new product has grown the size of the e-bike markets in the USA and UK by 1.6% and 5% respectively, in just one month. As a result of this demand, the launch has now closed but you can sign up here to get 50% off for pre-order access.