Nissan Announces Two Billion Pound Investment Into Sunderland’s Automotive Industry
Written by James Nicod on 27th November 2023
Nissan has announced that it will build two new electric car models in Sunderland as part of a two billion pound investment into the UK’s car manufacturing industry, securing thousands of local jobs.
The investment will involve the building of a third major ‘Gigafactory’ for electric batteries, accompanying the existing Sunderland sites, alongside support for new electric car models, including all-electric replacements for the JUKE and Qashqai.
These new models will entirely replace the petrol engine hybrids currently being made on the site, with Nissan saying that the all-electric models are the future of the JUKE and Qashqai.
The plant produced almost 240,000 cars in 2022, making up nearly 20% of all cars produced in the UK that year.
Nissan car plant in Sunderland. Credit: Alamy
The investment also serves to safeguard over 5000 jobs in Sunderland, as well as a further 30,000 jobs supported in the UK supply chain, despite questions over the future of the UK’s car industry post-Brexit.
The investment has been hailed by the Government as a huge success for the UK’s car manufacturing industry.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said: “Nissan’s investment is a massive vote of confidence in the UK’s automotive industry”.
He continued saying: “We will continue to back businesses like Nissan to expand and grow their roots in the UK every step of the way”.
Nissan will also be expanding their renewable energy microgeneration plant, EV36Zero, which will provide power to the new Gigafactory, meaning both battery and vehicle manufacturing will be powered by 100% renewable energy.
Nissan CEO, Makoto Uchida said: “The EV36Zero project puts our Sunderland plant, Britain’s biggest ever car factory, at the heart of our future vision.”
