Investment in electric vehicle production tripled by Nissan
On Friday the leading car company announced they will be delivering up to £2bn of new investment to produce two new electric vehicle models in Sunderland.
The Japanese car organisation is set to invest £1.12bn in building electric versions of two of its crossover models in the north-east of England. The project includes a new gigafactory to produce batteries, bringing the total investment to £2bn.
The news builds on the £1bn electric vehicle hub announced by Nissan and their battery partner AESC two years ago and brings total investment since 2021 to £3bn.
In addition, the plans will support the future of Nissan’s 7,000 employees in the UK, as well as 30,000 jobs in the wider supply chain.
Makoto Uchida has said the investment has put the Sunderland plant ‘at the heart’ of the company’s future vision. Makoto said: ‘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 has also said the investment is a ‘massive vote of confidence in the UK’s automotive industry’.
‘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,’ said Mr Sunak. ‘This venture will no doubt secure Sunderland’s future as the UK’s Silicon Valley for electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing.’
The Prime Minister added: ‘Making the UK the best place to do business is at the heart of our economic plan. We will continue to back businesses like Nissan to expand and grow their roots in the UK every step of the way as we make the right long term decisions for a brighter future.’
Central government have announced they would be putting £15m towards the funding to the Nissan Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, to boost research and development of zero-emission car technology.
Image: John Cameron
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