Nissan has said that its Sunderland plant in the UK recorded a a record year of production in 2010, with 423,262 units manufactured.
The company said 81% of the vehicles were exported. Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that Sunderland accounted for over one in three passenger cars produced in the UK in 2010. The plant has now been the UK’s biggest car producer in every year since 1998.
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The previous record for production there was 386,555 units in 2008. Output fell in 2009, as a result of the global financial crisis, to 338,150 units.
Nissan’s UK manufacturing chief Kevin Fitzpatrick said: “2010 was a landmark year for the plant and represents a superb achievement by our workforce. This performance also reflects the popularity of the models we are producing in Sunderland, especially the Qashqai and the new Juke.”
Annual production of the five-seat Qashqai crossover and the seven-seat Qashqai+2 reached 271,188, up from 198,841 in 2009 and 224,989 in 2008.
Following the start of production in August 44,622 new Jukes were also made at the plant. Earlier in the year, it produced 54,580 previous generation Micras the last of which was made in July before production of the new one for the UK and Europe was shifted to India after 18 years. The Micra is also now made in Thailand for Asian markets including Japan while output in China and other markets will follow.
The 2010 calendar year also saw Nissan announce that the 100% electric Leaf would be manufactured at Sunderland from 2013.
