Reviving the legacy of Rolls-Royce in its deprived inner-city birthplace

The story behind R6EV is a 30-year saga of the regeneration of Hulme and Moss Side in Manchester, the deprived inner-city birthplace of Rolls-Royce. Home to over 43,000 people and the geographical heart of the African Caribbean community in Manchester, Hulme and Moss Side still suffer from some of the highest unemployment and poverty in the UK (source: IMD 2019), despite huge initiatives to physically transform the area. Since 2004 (the 100th anniversary of the first Rolls-Royce car built in Hulme) the mission behind R6EV has been to revive the legacy of Rolls-Royce in Manchester, creating hundreds/ thousands of jobs, powering zero-carbon transport for the 21st century.

R6EV's primary social object is to carry out such business operations and related activities as will in the opinion of the directors promote sustainable development, which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, including but not exclusively by:

(a) the development of net zero carbon transport solutions;

(b) the preservation, conservation and the protection of the environment and the prudent use of resources;

(c) the relief of poverty and the improvement of the conditions of life in socially and economically disadvantaged communities;

(d) the promotion of sustainable means of achieving economic growth and regeneration; and result in a material positive impact on society and the environment, taken as a whole; and

The company’s secondary and subsidiary object is, as a result of the advancement by the company of its primary social object, to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members as a whole.

The R6EV business plan addresses three of the ten points of the UK Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, Nov 2020 :

2. Hydrogen: Working with industry aiming to generate 5GW of low carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for industry, transport, power and homes.

4. Electric vehicles: Backing our world-leading car manufacturing bases including in the West Midlands, North East and North Wales to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.

6. Jet Zero and greener maritime: Supporting difficult-to-decarbonise industries to become greener through research projects for zero-emission planes and ships.

“As the world looks to recover from the impact of coronavirus on our lives, livelihoods and economies, we have the chance to build back better: to invest in making the UK a global leader in green technologies. In doing so, we will position the UK to take advantage of export opportunities presented by low carbon technologies and services into new, global emerging markets – providing jobs and reinvigorating our industrial heartlands.” Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Nov 2020

"When automotive succeeds so does Britain. Our strength in developing the latest powertrains and autonomous technologies demonstrate that we have the foundations to build a new British success story. We want to be leaders in the technological revolution that is reshaping our industry, producing ever cleaner, cutting-edge vehicles that are driven throughout the world and which are the embodiment of the quality, ingenuity and innovation that sits at the heart of UK automotive manufacturing.” Mike Hawes, CEO SMMT, Dec 2019

“For over a century, the UK has written the history of the automotive industry. As we open the sector’s next chapter, let’s work together to make sure the technologies of tomorrow are developed, tested and manufactured right here in the UK.” Nigel Stein, UK Automotive Council Chairman - UK Industrial Strategy Automotive Sector Deal, 2018, .