Nissan commits to electric models made in Sunderland

The move to all-electric vehicle production will see the company’s EV36Zero hub, a £1bn electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing centre powered by renewable energy, consist of three electric vehicle lines, three gigafactories and up to £3bn investment.

In a statement, Nissan president and CEO Makoto Uchida said: "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…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 (November 24, 2023) 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 per cent electric by 2030.

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.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Sheena Patel, director and automotive sector specialist at Vendigital, said: “Without a significant increase to battery manufacturing capacity, the UK might not be able to meet growing domestic demand for mass-market EVs, or at least not at a competitive price.

“The Faraday Institute has estimated that the UK will require 100GWh of battery manufacturing capacity by 2030 to meet the demands of the automotive industry along with other sectors, and Nissan’s latest announcement demonstrates that the pressure is on to increase capacity.

“Countries around the world are investing significantly into this industry. The UK has work to do to retain its competitive footing on the global stage, but this announcement will help to reinvigorate manufacturing capabilities and grab opportunities for job creation.

“The next big step for the UK must be to address the infrastructure and investment requirements of gigafactories. Many countries are looking to keep battery manufacturing close to EV manufacturing hubs, as moving the critical elements of the supply chain closer to each other will not only reduce the carbon footprint of EV production, but also lower the cost-to-sales.”