The company’s recruitment drive aims to help the business take advantage of growth opportunities in the high-tech electric automotive industry.

The specialist positions will support the delivery of existing and rapidly growing electric vehicle programmes in the UK and overseas. One example of this is the 7.5 tonne electric refuse collection commercial vehicle currently being tested by the company in Greenwich, London.

Magtec currently employs more than 70 people at its factories in Sheffield and Rotherham, and is looking to recruit almost 20 new highly-skilled positions, including production engineers, production and service managers, demand planners and design engineers covering the software, electronic, electrical and mechanical sectors.

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub has announced applications are open for the October intake of its SME Leaders Programme; Ten successful applicants will receive grant funding of up to £10,000 to support training needs.

Pressure on the automotive sector for more electric and low carbon vehicles is increasing

With the rise of the electric vehicle market, and low carbon initiatives for the automotive sector being announced by governments across the world in light of the Paris Climate Agreement, can the industry possibly switch to alternative fuel sources quickly enough?

The electric and low carbon vehicle market is growing, as governments across the world implement environmental automotive strategies.

In response to the UK government’s recent proposal, outlined in the Road to Zero Strategy, for half of British cars to be low carbon by 2030, Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “We are concerned about targets for ULEV penetration that go far beyond the high levels of expectation proposed by the European Commission.

“Achieving 50% market share would require a nearly 23-fold increase in uptake from the current position of just 2.2%.”

In 2001, diesel was subsidised by the UK government, and consumers were encouraged to trade in their petrol cars for diesel vehicles.

As demand rose for diesel vehicles, the diesel automotive sector grew, but it was not until a decade later that concerns were raised about the health impacts of diesel, including the harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides and particle matter.

The government has now proposed to ban diesel vehicles, but in order for manufacturers, consumers and the entire industry to adopt these technologies and make this plan realistic, the Britain’s leaders must provide a long term commitment to the industry, alongside incentives such as financial backing, policy support and investment in infrastructure.