Developing electric vehicles at scale
From MoneyWeek Talks by Future Publishing
April 3, 2026 · 16 min · Season 2 · Episode 14
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges and strategies for scaling electric and hydrogen-powered vehicle manufacturing with insights from Electra Vehicles' founder Sid Sadique.
#Ad In this episode, we speak to Electra Vehicles, a West Yorkshire-based manufacturer developing electric and hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles, about the realities of building and scaling a technology-led business. Founder Sid Sadique shares his journey from apprentice mechanic to leading a growing engineering business, and explains the challenges SMEs face in capital-intensive sectors, from regulation and skills shortages to the high cost of innovation. The conversation explores how Horizon Europe funding has supported Electra’s growth, not only through investment in research and development, but by opening access to international partners, customers and markets. For a business operating in a space typically dominated by large global players, that combination of funding and collaboration has been key. We also discuss why support for SMEs matters more broadly (from access to talent and technology to guidance on entering new markets) and how businesses can approach innovation funding strategically. For SMEs looking to scale, this episode offers a practical perspective on how innovation, partnerships and support can help turn ambition into growth.
People in this episode
Guest: Sid Sadique
Topics covered
- electric vehicles
- hydrogen-powered vehicles
- SME challenges
- innovation funding
- business growth
- technology-led business
Keywords
- electric vehicles
- hydrogen vehicles
- SME
- innovation
- Horizon Europe
- business growth
- engineering
Sponsors
Electra Vehicles
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Electra Vehicles, Horizon Europe
Places: West Yorkshire
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