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Nissan have announced today, 24th November 2023, that all three models in production at its UK plant in Sunderland will transition to be 100% electric. The announcement comes with an investment of up to three billion pounds in the three models, battery production, and infrastructure as they move to transform the facility into a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem.
Nissan’s UK employees totals around 7000 and a further 30,000 jobs are supported by the move in the supply chain, so this is a welcome move. Nissan confirmed that future versions of the Qashqai and JUKE crossovers will be built in Sunderland but also that the third vehicle will be the next-generation Nissan LEAF, the car that sparked the initial excitement in electrification in the automotive industry.
Vehicle and battery manufacturing will both be powered by the EV36Zero Microgrid which will be integrated with the wind and solar farms at Nissan with the capability to deliver 100% renewable electricity to Nissan and neighbouring suppliers.
When announcing the plans to colleagues in Sunderland, 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.”
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak commented on the plans: “Nissan’s investment is a massive vote of confidence in the UK’s automotive industry, which already contributes a massive £71 billion 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.”
Up to £1.2 billion of the investment will be moved into the UK operations and wider supply chain for R&D and manufacturing of the two models announced which will include facility and manufacturing process improvements, skills training, and tooling suppliers.
Further information about the three models, including names, specifications, and launch dates, will be released later.
