2 minute read - 27th September 2022
Nissan begins production of electrified models in the UK
Electrified versions of the Nissan Qashqai and Juke are now rolling off production lines at the firm’s Sunderland plant. The Qashqai is now offered with Nissan’s e-POWER system, a first for the company in Europe, with the Nissan Juke now equipped with an advanced hybrid powertrain.
These new powertrains have been launched as combined production of the two crossover models passes five million units in Sunderland. Built alongside the Nissan LEAF, these technologies mean every model built by Nissan in the UK now has an electrified version.
Nissan has begun production of electrified versions of the Qashqai and Juke at its plant in Sunderland, as production of both models passes the five million mark / Picture: Nissan GB
The two electrified models are part of a previously announced £500m investment by Nissan into the plant to build the current generations of Qashqai and Juke. New facilities installed include a £10m state-of-the-art battery assembly facility, where battery packs are made for both the e-POWER and hybrid powertrains, before being delivered to be fitted into vehicles.
Building a team that has the skills to deliver the cars of the future has required a huge amount of training. Since LEAF started production in 2011, staff at Nissan Sunderland have undergone more than two million hours of training dedicated to manufacturing electrified vehicles, with more planned in the coming months and years.
Staff at Nissan Sunderland have undergone more than two million hours of training / Picture: Nissan GB
Alan Johnson, Nissan’s vice president for manufacturing in the UK, said: “With more than five million customers, Qashqai and Juke are two of our plant’s most successful and popular models ever. Both e-POWER and hybrid technologies are firsts for the team in Sunderland, so it’s fantastic to see the electrified versions rolling off our two production lines.
“Our plant is built on the foundations of 36 years of manufacturing excellence from our world-class people and advanced facilities. Two million hours of training just for electrification shows we are taking that to the next level, as we lead the charge towards an electrified future. And of course we’ll continue to deliver brilliant, technologically advanced, cars to the high standards of quality that our customers have come to love.”
New facilities installed at Sunderland include a £10m state-of-the-art battery assembly facility / Picture: Nissan GB
The launches come after Nissan announced the Sunderland plant as the home of EV36Zero, a £1bn flagship electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production.
Both Qashqai and Juke are designed, engineered and manufactured by Nissan in its UK facilities, supporting more than 7,000 jobs in Paddington, Maple Cross, Cranfield, Lutterworth and Sunderland, as well as a further 30,000 in the wider UK supply chain and around 5,000 in UK dealerships.