Nissan promises to lead the way in electric car build
Mar 19 2010 by William Green, The Journal
THE North East is in pole position to lead the world in building a range of electric cars, a senior Nissan executive promised last night.
Not only has the car giant’s Sunderland plant been chosen to construct its new Leaf vehicle but Nissan has pledged more electric cars will be built in the region in the future.
Trevor Mann, senior vice president for manufacturing, Europe, made the prediction after the company’s Sunderland plant won an internal competition to build the all-electric Leaf model.
He said the news was “significant” with Nissan investing £420m which, including a new battery plan, amounts to the biggest investment in the factory since 1992.
Some 200 new Nissan jobs and 600 other posts will be created in the supply chain thanks to the £30m battery plant, which will also provide temporary construction jobs.
Mr Mann added: “It is much needed in terms of securing jobs within the vehicle assembly plant.
“And importantly what it does is put future routes into the plant because we believe this is the way mobility is going and we have obviously got the infrastructure in the plant for not only this vehicle but further vehicles in the future.”
He said Sunderland would be at the “heart” of Nissan’s European plans thanks to the North East having a competitive edge over its rivals.
“Nissan’s policy is to place production of vehicles where they are most competitive and so nothing is a given within Nissan.
“You have to earn your allocation and that’s what the Sunderland plant has got,” said Mr Mann.
