Sunderland facility transformed to enable EV manufacturing, with batteries for the Leaf manufactured at a new gigafactory next to the plant.
Nissan has started production of the third generation Nissan Leaf at its Sunderland, UK, plant.
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Building the new Leaf in the UK represents an investment of GBP450m by Nissan across its operations and supply chain and marks the return of the car that pioneered mass EV production more than a decade ago.
Massimiliano Messina, Chairperson Nissan Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania (AMIEO), said: “Today is a momentous occasion as we begin production of the third generation Nissan Leaf in the UK, the electric vehicle that started it all.
“Smart, sleek and aerodynamic, the all-new LEAF captures the energy of a new generation as a car that redefines what’s possible and sets the stage for Nissan’s next chapter.
“Leaf brings to life our world first EV36Zero vision, which combines EV manufacturing, battery production and renewable energy.”
Nissan says it has transformed the Sunderland plant, enabling EV manufacturing on production ‘line two’ for the first time.
Adam Pennick, Vice President, Manufacturing, at Nissan Sunderland Plant said: “Nissan has invested into our state-of-the-art plant to build the EVs of the future and there is huge pride and excitement in our team to be building this brilliant car in Sunderland.
“The skills, expertise and team-work of our people have powered Sunderland’s success, and the transformation of our plant for new Leaf demonstrates our leadership in the journey to electrification.”
To support production of Leaf in Sunderland, the plant’s transformation has included:
- Adoption of factory of the future technology including intelligent use of big data, virtual reality and digital mapping of the plant
- 137 new press dies (the giant moulds that are used to press LEAF’s 42 different body panels) in the Press and Plastics Shop
- 78 new high-tech robots in the Body Shop, including a fully automated laser welding facility, delivering precision to 0.3mm, to craft LEAF’s seamless roof
- New colour palettes in Paint Shop to give LEAF its vibrant new Sukumo Blue and Luminous Teal colours
- A state-of-the-art battery marriage facility in Trim and Chassis. This fully automated technology brings the battery into the car, applying 26 bolts in 56 seconds
- 475 new automated guided vehicles to deliver parts direct to the production line for new LEAF
- More than 360,000 hours’ training across the team of 6,000 to build the new car
Nissan marked the start of production of new Leaf with a ceremony next to the production line at Sunderland plant.
UK government Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Sunderland is the beating heart of the UK’s automotive industry, and Nissan’s investment is a major commitment to the North East and a huge vote of confidence in our economy.
“Through this government’s modern Industrial Strategy, we’re delivering £4 billion into our world leading auto sector – the biggest investment into the car industry since the post-war era – driving growth, innovation and jobs across the country.”
The landscape around the plant has also been transformed with a brand-new AESC gigafactory just over the road from the plant. AESC will supply next-generation battery technology with increased energy density to deliver superior range and performance for the new Leaf.
Jim Marley, AESC UK Plant Director, said: “The launch of our new UK electric vehicle battery gigafactory represents a significant leap in battery technology. It will power the new Nissan Leaf and drive the electrification of the British car industry to a new level.
“This gigafactory will anchor a resilient, globally competitive EV supply chain for the UK.”
Sunderland City Council Leader Michael Mordey added: “The scale of investment which Nissan has made in the plant is hugely significant, continuing to create valuable employment opportunities in high quality green jobs for residents from across our communities in Sunderland and throughout the wider North East region.
“We could not be more proud that this world-leading car is being made in our city and of the talented workforce who make that possible.”
Leaf has been built in Sunderland since 2013, with 282,704 manufactured in total at the plant.
The Nissan Sunderland plant will follow Leaf with a new all-electric Nissan Juke next year, with both models built on the plant’s production line two. It means that Nissan Sunderland now produces vehicles from fully electric to hybrid, including Nissan’s unique e-POWER technology on Qashqai, and Juke HEV, as well as ICE.
Nissan also points out that engineers at Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, played a defining role in shaping the design, technology, and driving character of the new Nissan Leaf, with the majority of their innovations carried through to UK, Japanese and US models.
Nissan supports 6,000 jobs in Sunderland and 7,000 in total across its UK operations, including NTCE and its Design Centre in Paddington, London. The company also supports an estimated 30,000 jobs in its wider UK supply chain.
