Ford, Nissan, LG, Samsung start-ups Britishvolt and InoBat Auto are in talks with the British government or local authorities about locations for potential factories and financial support.

The British government wants to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and hybrids by 2035. This will require the country's vehicle plants to shift to producing electric models.

A UK business department spokesperson told the FT the government was "dedicated to securing gigafactories and continue to work closely with investors and vehicle manufacturers to progress plans to mass-produce batteries in the UK".

So far, there are 38 planned gigafactories across Europe, according to green lobby group Transport & Environment, with only Britishvolt's project being disclosed in the UK, the newspaper said.

Ford has indicated it was exploring making batteries in the UK that would then be shipped to Turkey for use in a planned electric version of its Transit van.

Ford may make parts of battery modules in Britain before shipping them to Turkey for final work and installation, according to the report.

Nissan's talks with the government about building a battery plant at its Sunderland manufacturing complex hinge on energy costs, the Financial Times said.

LG and Samsung are both in early-stage talks with the UK government about investments, and the companies are only likely to proceed if they have deals with major carmakers, the report added.