Sunak pledges to make Sunderland Britain’s EV ‘Silicon Valley’ as £2bn Nissan investment confirmed
Nissan will produce two new electric vehicle models at its plant in Sunderland, supporting thousands of jobs in the UK, the Government has confirmed.
Number 10 said that Nissan would directly invest up to £1.12 billion to produce new electric versions of the Nissan Juke and Qashqai vehicles models in Sunderland.
This will enable more investment in infrastructure projects and the supply chain, including a new battery factory.
The investment could therefore total up to £2 billion, the Government said. Nissan employs 7,000 people directly in the UK and supports another 30,000 jobs in its supply chain.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the investment from Nissan will make Sunderland the UK’s electric vehicle “Silicon Valley”.
“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,” he said.
“This venture will no doubt secure Sunderland’s future as the UK’s Silicon Valley for electric vehicle innovation and manufacturing.
“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.”
Nissan president and chief executive Makoto Uchida said: “Exciting, electric vehicles are at the heart of our plans to achieve carbon neutrality.
“With electric versions of our core European models on the way, we are accelerating towards a new era for Nissan, for industry and for our customers.
“The EV36Zero project puts our Sunderland plant, Britain’s biggest ever car factory, at the heart of our future vision.
“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.”
Press Association – Neil Lancefield