Nissan announces £2bn investment to build new models, additional 'gigafactory' in Sunderland
Fri 24 November 2023
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Nissan has announced that it will invest up to £2 billion to produce two new electric vehicle models (Qashqai, JUKE, plus the replacement for LEAF) in Sunderland. The company says that the two new models, alongside an additional gigafactory and investment in infrastructure projects, will enable up to a £3bn total investment in the UK.
This latest investment - dubbed 'EV36Zero' by the company - builds on the £1 billion electric vehicle hub announced by Nissan and their battery partner AESC in 2021, and brings total investment since 2021 to £3 billion. Nissan’s has a highly-skilled 7,000 strong UK workforce as well as the 30,000 staff employed in the wider supply chain.
The latest investment takes the total Nissan investment in the UK past £6 billion. Nissan has said that all its new cars in Europe from now will be available fully electric, with its passenger cars across Europe expected to be 100% electric by 2030.
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.
Meanwhile, the Government has also confirmed £15 million funding awarded for a £30m collaborative project led by Nissan. It will strengthen the technical expertise and R&D zero emission vehicle capability of the Nissan Technical Centre (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. The Government says the aim is to increase opportunities for securing additional UK R&D investment in future vehicle models.
Makoto Uchida, Nissan president and CEO, said: “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 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."
Photo: Nissan
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