This evening the International Trade Secretary MP will speak at a dinner hosted
by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) at the
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Speaking to an audience of automotive industry leaders, Dr Fox
will say that “British automotive industry is at the forefront”
of “the biggest transformation in transportation for
generations”.
He will highlight strong growth in the industry which “now
produces 1.7 million cars a year, up 70% since 2009” and
“real-terms investment which has more than doubled in the last 10
years”.
The International Trade Secretary will welcome the UK being named
one of the leading countries in innovation by the CTA achieving
an ‘A’ for its welcoming approach towards the testing of
self-driving vehicles.
Against the backdrop of CES he will call autonomous and
low-emission vehicles “one of our greatest strengths” – as ULEV
vehicles numbers in the UK have risen almost 50% since 2016 to
record levels.
Looking at government support for the sector, he will say “we are
delivering major investment, as part of a coherent strategy,
developed with industry, to support electric, autonomous and
connected vehicles.”
He will discuss the Industrial Strategy which will address the
“Future of Mobility”, forward thinking legislation like the UK’s
first Autonomous and Electric Vehicles Act, and a £1.5 billion
investment in R&D as concrete examples of what Government is
doing to ensure the UK “stays at the forefront of electronic and
autonomous vehicles”.
Discussing the importance of CES, he will say that some of the
challenges we face are “inherently global” and “can only be
solved by international cooperation”, pointing at CES as a way of
fostering that collaboration and creating international
partnerships.
Offering reassurance around Brexit to businesses in the room, he
will challenge “the very easy assumption that Brexit is about
Britain turning in on one’s self” and highlight that we will
continue to work with partners in Europe and beyond to tackle big
global issues like protectionism and climate change.
He will conclude by saying “that we are in the third century of
the automobile, yet it is advancing faster than ever before.”
