Nissan will boost car building in Sunderland with a new £1bn gigafactory to make electric car batteries – and has confirmed an all-new electric crossover for UK production.
The new factory, called Nissan EV36Zero and to be constructed in partnership with Chinese battery maker Envision AESC, will have a capacity of 9 GWh, with the potential to generate up to 25 GWh by 2030, and potentially up to 35 GWh.
The SMMT has identified Britain needs at least 60 GWh of electric car battery production capacity by 2030, meaning Nissan’s new factory represents a significant step forward.
The new plant builds on Nissan’s existing 1.7 GWh factory in Sunderland, which supplies batteries for the Nissan Leaf.
The new electric crossover that’s also been confirmed will boast “next-generation vehicle styling, efficiency and battery technology”.
It will be sold in both the UK and Europe, and is designed for global markets too.
PM Boris Johnson has welcomed Nissan’s announcement, calling it “a major vote of confidence in the UK and our highly-skilled workers in the North East.
“This is a pivotal moment in our electric vehicle revolution” which secures Sunderland’s future “for decades to come.
“Commitments like these exemplify our ability to create hundreds of green jobs and boost British industry, whist also allowing people to travel in an affordable and sustainable way so we can eliminate our contributions to climate change.”
‘Great news’
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes welcomed the announcement, calling it “great news for the sector, the region and all those employed locally.
It also demonstrates the UK automotive industry’s commitment to net zero and that the transition to these new electrified vehicles can be ‘made in Britain’.”
Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta called the announcement “a landmark day for Nissan, our partners, the UK and the automotive industry as a whole”.
UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said he was “extremely proud that Nissan has not only reaffirmed its belief in Britain, but is doubling down on its long-standing commitment to our country.
“The cars made in this plant, using batteries made just down the road at the UK’s first at scale gigafactory, will have a huge role to play as we transition away from petrol and diesel cars and kick-start a domestic electric vehicle manufacturing base.”
Nissan EV36Zero: in detail
The Nissan EV36Zero plan will create a “world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem’ in Sunderland.
It consists of three initiatives: electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production. Nissan calls it a “blueprint for the future of the automotive industry”.
£423m will be invested in the new EV crossover, creating 909 new jobs in Sunderland and 4,500 more in the supply chain.
Envision AESC will invest £450m to build Britain’s first gigafactory next to the Nissan Sunderland plant. It will be powered by renewable energy.
The plant will use new battery cell technology with 30 percent more energy density. They will also be cheaper than today’s batteries, helping make EVs more accessible.
Nissan believes the plans will put the North East “at the heart of a new EV hub in the UK, collaborating on R&D around the whole battery lifecycle, from storage, to second life use, V2G smart charging and closed loop recycling”.
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