Among those reporting the news are the BBC which says the chairman of Tata, which owns JLR, will fly into London sometime next week to finalise the deal.
Reports also that note although the deal is not yet signed, there has been movement to the drafting stage and it is set to create up to 9,000 jobs at the Bridgwater site, near to the M5.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt recently talked of the need for electric vehicle battery manufacturing in the UK to secure the future of the automotive industry – which employs up to 800,000 directly and across the wider supply chain.
The Tata/JLR agreement is set to cost the government, who will reportedly subsidise the development and along with additional energy discounts, with a total incentive package to Tata close to £800m, the BBC reports.
The Somerset site's access to power, a skilled UK automotive workforce and the British heritage of JLR’s brands are cited as helping the UK bid.
Industry experts say the Tata battery investment will pave the way for further battery investments in the UK. The only plant in operation is next to Nissan's Sunderland factory, with another planned in Northumberland, whereas the EU has 35 plants already open, under construction or planned.
