Made in Britain: how Nissan’s electric cars are home-grown in the UK
Nissan has been making cars in Sunderland for over three decades, and it shows no signs of slowing.....
For 35 years, Nissan has been a manufacturing heavyweight of the British automotive industry. Today, its Sunderland plant directly employs over 6000 people, with a further 46,000 jobs supported through its extensive nationwide supply chain.
Since production began at Nissan Sunderland in 1986, 10 million vehicles have rolled off the line: roughly two cars every minute. If parked bumper-to-bumper, they'd circle the globe at a length of 42,000km[1]. Now, in 2021, Nissan Sunderland is expanding its range of diverse, intelligent and versatile electrified models.
Ever since UK production of the Nissan LEAF began in 2013, over 175,000 have been made at Sunderland. The latest iteration of Nissan's all-electric hatchback is more refined, more advanced and more efficient than ever, with LEAF e+ models achieving up to 239 miles on one charge (WLTP combined)[2], while boasting 217PS and 340Nm – enough for 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds.
The Nissan LEAF isn’t the only electrified Nissan made in the UK. Since 2007, the Nissan Qashqai has been a leading light of the crossover sector with its unique blend of hatchback style and SUV practicality, and over 3 million have been made at Nissan Sunderland.
Now, the all-new third-generation Nissan Qashqai is combining style and space with efficiency, offering an advanced mild-hybrid model alongside an innovative ePOWER version that will be hitting showrooms in 2022.
Looking ahead, Nissan has launched EV36Zero in partnership with Envision AESC and Sunderland City Council (artist's impression above) – creating a new world-first £1bn flagship Electric Vehicle Hub for EV manufacturing in Sunderland. Alongside a 9GW-capacity battery gigafactory, to be built by partner Envision AESC, it will be responsible for making an all-new, all-electric family crossover.
As part of this major investment in UK manufacturing, Nissan will dedicate up to £423 million solely towards production of this new model, of which it's estimated that 100,000 will be made annually. As with the Nissan LEAF and Qashqai, UK-made cars will be exported to Europe.
So, whatever electrified model you're after – from the pioneering all-electric Nissan LEAF, to the mild-hybrid Nissan Qashqai, and Nissan's upcoming 100% electric crossover – you've got the confidence it's made in Britain.
[1] https://www.nissan.co.uk/experience-nissan/news/ten-millionth-vehicle-built-at-nissan-sunderland-plant.html
[2] WLTP figures shown are for comparability purposes. Actual real-world driving results may vary depending on factors including the starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted after registration, weather conditions, driving styles and vehicle load.
