Nissan is to launch an EV hub in UK Sunderland, as part of its blueprint for future manufacturing, the plan will consist of three electric vehicles (EVs), three gigafactories, and up to £3bn investment.
The group also confirmed that the third vehicle planned for UK production will be the next-generation Nissan LEAF.
Both vehicle and battery manufacturing will be powered by the EV36Zero Microgrid, which will incorporate the wind and solar farms at Nissan and will have the capability to deliver 100% renewable electricity to Nissan and its neighbouring suppliers.
Announcing the plans 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 toward 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.”
Today’s announcement follows Nissan’s confirmation that all its new cars in Europe from now will be fully electric and that it expects its passenger car line-up in Europe to be 100% electric by 2030. It also builds on Nissan’s Ambition 2030 vision to become a truly sustainable company, driving towards a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “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.
Nissan’s latest investment includes up to £1.12bn into its UK operations and wider supply chain for R&D and manufacturing of the two new models announced today, including facility and manufacturing process improvements, skills training, and tooling for suppliers. This follows the £423m investment announced by Nissan in the first phase of EV36Zero for the first future EV.
