Britishvolt CEO and founder Orral Nadjari steps down

Orral Nadjari has handed control over to Dr Graham Hoare OBE, and admitted it was a difficult decision to step away from the business.

He said: “I am extremely proud of what Britishvolt has achieved since the business was founded in 2019, exceeding all expectations and bringing my vision to life.

“Although it was a difficult decision for me to step away from the operational management of the company, now is the right time for me to pass the reins, after laying the foundations, to our hugely talented, world-leading team, who will drive the business forwards as it enters the execution phase.

"They have my complete trust to take Britishvolt to the next level.”

Revealing the management shake-up, Britishvolt said the announcement “positions the company for continued excellence as it rapidly moves towards full operational execution”. It also said that, in line with its plans, its first cell samples will be sent to customers this summer, with testing indicating they will surpass quality and performance expectations.

Peter Rolton, executive chairman, said: “On behalf of the Britishvolt board of directors, I want to thank Orral for his contribution to the company as our founder and CEO. His vision and leadership have been instrumental in ensuring that Britishvolt has reached the point today where we can look with great confidence to a highly successful future.”

There have been concerns about the electric car battery plant after a report in the Guardian suggested construction would be severely limited until February, and the project had been put on “life support” in a bid to cut spending.

The gigaplant has been heralded as a game-changer for the area and is set to create around 8,000 new jobs.

But just last week the area’s ward councillor, Alex Wallace, said he was “absolutely still confident” work on the 95-hectare site was progressing as planned.

And the company itself issued a statement, reassuring people that construction was on schedule. It read: “Delivery of key materials to site continues along with project preparation activities.

"This will be followed in February with significant works such as piling, which will prepare the site for structural steel work.”