Significant news for the British auto sector this morning: Nissan has announced that three entirely electric vehicles, including all-electric Jukes and Qashqais, and Leaf, will eventually come off the assembly line at its massive Sunderland facility. This implies that the £1 billion investment that was previously promised for its automobile factory and the center for the production of EV36Zero batteries might now reach £3 billion.
Wind and solar farms will fuel the production of cars and batteries, enabling Nissan and its numerous local suppliers—who collectively employ 30,000 people in Northeastern regions—to run entirely on renewable energy.
The three vehicles in question are the upcoming Leaf, Juke, and Qashqai models; the latter two being the focus of today’s tickertape procession because they will soon have entirely electric drivetrains. All of this is possible because Nissan just promised to halt the sale of internal combustion engines in Europe by 2030—five years ahead of newly revised legislative deadlines. In fact, all of the electricity in every brand-new Nissan vehicle introduced in Europe will come from the plug.
Given that today’s announcement said they will be influenced by the themes of Hyper Punk, Hyper Urban, and Chill-Out, respectively, the automobiles themselves should be very eye-catching as well (see above).
Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida, who was present in Sunderland to commemorate the news, stated, “Exciting, electric vehicles are at the heart of our plans to achieve carbon neutrality.” “We are moving quickly toward a new era for Nissan, the industry, and our consumers with the arrival of electric versions of our main European models.
“Our Sunderland plant, the largest automobile factory in Britain, is at the center of our future vision thanks to the EV36Zero project. It implies that the future cars will be designed, engineered, and produced by our UK team, advancing Nissan’s transition to an all-electric future throughout Europe.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called Nissan’s investment “a massive vote of confidence in the UK’s automotive industry” and said it would “secure Sunderland’s future as the UK’s Silicon Valley for electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing.” Needless to say, the UK government is giddy with delight over some encouraging industry news. Nissan has stated that the £3 billion it released today does not originate from public funding.
The announcement coincides with the confirmation of a new Investment Zone for the greater northeast, though, and the government has also contributed £15 million to a collaborative project worth £30 million, headed by Nissan, to enhance the technical know-how of its Technical Center in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, with the ultimate goal of advancing the development of electric vehicles. The Juke and Qashqai are well-known for being designed, constructed, and produced in the UK; perhaps their successors will carry on this heritage.
This confirms that the wonderful Nissan 20-23 concept will indeed be produced outside of Britain. The adorable K11 and K12 Micras it honors are inducted into the Sunderland Plant Hall of Fame, but Wearside’s current state of affairs does not allow for a return.
