Rivian Automotive, the EV startup backed by Amazon and Ford Motor, is in talks with the UK government on building its first manufacturing plant outside the U.S. near the English city of Bristol, Sky News reported.
The investment would probably include a large state-support package, but the UK faces competition from Germany and the Netherlands for the site, Sky cited industry sources as saying.
Rivian, seen as a potential rival to Tesla, said this month it expects to begin first deliveries of its R1T pickup in September and its R1S SUV in the autumn.
Talks with the British government are at an early stage, and an investment could be worth more than 1 billion pounds ($1.4 billion), Sky said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken a keen interest in the progress of the talks, although they are not yet at an advanced stage, Sky reported. Attracting environmentally friendly investment in the UK is a key part of Johnson’s plan for post-Brexit Britain and his climate agenda.
A campus called Gravity, near Bristol, southwest England, has been identified by Rivian as a possible location for the new plant, Sky said.
The UK's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) declined to comment on "individual investments." It said in a statement: "While we are working to attract inward investment into the UK to accelerate the growth of new industries, we cannot comment on speculation about individual investments."
Rivian is also exploring locations for a second plant in the U.S.
Reuters contributed to this report
