Nissan has announced the manufacturing of electric versions of its two best-selling cars in Sunderland.
The Japanese carmaker said it would make its new electric Qashqai and Juke models in the North East as part of an investment worth more than £1bn. A third gigafactory will also be built at Sunderland to provide batteries for the new models, with power for all of the manufacturing sites coming from on-site wind and solar farms.
The moves have been welcomed by local and national politicians.
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Nissan president and CEO Makoto Uchida said: “Exciting, electric vehicles are at the heart of our plans to achieve carbon neutrality. With electric versions of our core European models on the way, we are accelerating towards a new era for Nissan, for industry and for our customers.
“The EV36Zero project puts our Sunderland plant, Britain’s biggest ever car factory, at the heart of our future vision. It means our UK team will be designing, engineering and manufacturing the vehicles of the future, driving us towards an all-electric future for Nissan in Europe.”
Prime Minister Rishi said: “Nissan’s investment is a massive vote of confidence in the UK’s automotive industry, which already contributes a massive £71bn a year to our economy. This venture will no doubt secure Sunderland’s future as the UK’s Silicon Valley for electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing.
“Making the UK the best place to do business is at the heart of our economic plan. We will continue to back businesses like Nissan to expand and grow their roots in the UK every step of the way as we make the right long term decisions for a brighter future.”
Nissan said it would be investing £1.12bn into its UK operations and its wider supply chain, including manufacturing improvements, skills training, and tooling for suppliers. As well as all electric Qashqai and Juke models being built at Sunderland, where it currently produces petrol-powered versions of those models and the electric Leaf, Nissan highlighted three future models in its ‘Hyper Urban’, ‘Hyper Punk’ and ‘Chill-Out’ concepts.
While many car makers are struggling with the UK battery supplies needed for looming EU rules, Nissan benefits from getting its batteries from the AESC plant next to its Sunderland factory. As well as its existing site, AESC is building a second gigafactory at Sunderland and now a third has been announced.
Sunderland city council leader Graeme Miller said: “Today’s announcement is fantastic news for Sunderland, the North East and the UK – building on our world-leading strengths in automotive and advanced manufacturing, creating high quality jobs, growing our low carbon economy and further positioning us at the heart of electrification on a global stage. It is a huge vote of confidence in the city and region – and our people - that Nissan has again chosen to invest here.”
