Nissan go ahead on £26.5M investment in EV battery plant

This morning, Nissan confirmed its commitment to produce electric vehicle (EV) batteries at its advanced lithium-ion battery plant in Sunderland.

The announcement follows the launch of a third generation all-electric LEAF with class-leading range of up to 250km, reaffirming Nissan’s commitment to a 100% electric future. In 2015 alone, Nissan sold 43,651 LEAFs worldwide, 15,630 of which were in Europe.

The £26.5M investment will safeguard 300 highly-skilled jobs in manufacturing, maintenance and engineering at the plant, which is the largest of its type in Europe. One of three Nissan battery production sites, the plant will provide battery modules for the all-electric Nissan LEAF and e-NV200 electric van, which is manufactured at Nissan’s facility in Barcelona, Spain.

Paul Willcox, Chairman, Nissan Europe, said: “The Nissan LEAF has transformed the performance and perception of EVs and made Nissan the undisputed leader in EV technology. Today’s announcement reflects Nissan’s intention to remain EV leaders for many years to come, with our European operations at the heart of our future innovations.”

Willcox added: “Nissan has achieved second-to-none quality levels since launching battery manufacturing in Sunderland, and securing this critical future production is a testament to our success. This news coincides with the launch of the 250km range Nissan LEAF. Now in its third generation, the LEAF continues to go from strength to strength as we realize our electric motoring vision.”

Nissan’s heritage with electric vehicles dates back 68 years with the Tama Electric Vehicle. Nissan, which has dedicated itself to in-house research and development of the EV battery, has taken it from zinc and nickel hydride to lithium-ion.

EV production began in Sunderland in 2013 and this year will mark the 30^th anniversary for Nissan at the plant, which is now the largest plant in the history of the UK car industry.

Nissan has announced that it has invested more than 500Bn JPY in EV projects, with bold plans to expand further as demand for clean, efficient and affordable electric cars continues to grow.

As the level of electric vehicle technology continues to increase, Nissan believes that this shift towards cleaner, more efficient zero emission vehicles will contribute greatly in improving air quality and lowering noise levels. Nissan will accelerate its endeavours for the realisation of a zero emission society by further developing and popularizing EVs as well as innovations utilizing EV-related technology and business.

 

 

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