Nissan confirms £1.2bn Sunderland investment

Nissan has announced it will build the electric Qashqai and Juke models at its Sunderland plant, following an investment of around £1.2bn.

The site already manufactures the electric Leaf.

The news is expected to secure the future of about 6,000 jobs, alongside many more in the supply chain.

This comes on the back of the news that Nissan will also establish and EV battery gigafactory in Sunderland, with the support of partner AESC.

This will push up investment to nearer the £2bn mark.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “The UK’s automotive manufacturing sector continues to demonstrate its investment attractiveness with yet another significant commitment. This new announcement from Nissan – coming on the back of billions recently committed by other manufacturers and supported by the UK government – underlines Britain’s position as an increasingly competitive location for electric vehicle production. It is tremendous news for the company, its workforce, the region and the UK’s supply chain, which will drive economic growth and decarbonisation across the UK.