Five years*ago, straight after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union (eu), Nissan, a Japanese carmaker, warned that the future of its factory in Sunderland was in doubt. On July 1st it announced a £1bn ($1.3bn) investment in a new battery plant that will secure the factory’s future. And on July 6th Stellantis, another motor manufacturer, said it would be investing £100m to produce electric vans in Ellesmere Port. Further news is expected soon from*bmw*and Toyota. The trade deal that Britain struck with the*eu*in December 2020—and eye-watering amounts of government cash—have bosses musing less about upping sticks, and more about the advantages of post-Brexit regulatory freedom.