Virus shutters Nissan's Sunderland plant

Virus shutters Nissan’s Sunderland plant

Nissan stopped output at Britain's biggest car factory due to the impact from coronavirus as it assessed supply chain disruption and the drop in demand, the most significant closure to affect the country's vehicle making sector so far from the outbreak, Reuters reported.

Nissan stopped output at Britain’s biggest car factory due to the impact from coronavirus as it assessed supply chain disruption and the drop in demand, the most significant closure to affect the country’s vehicle making sector so far from the outbreak, Reuters reported.

The news agency noted the Sunderland factory in north east England made almost 350,000 of Britain’s 1.3m cars last year. It builds the Qashqai, Juke and Leaf plus the Leaf’s battery pack.

“Further measures are currently under study as we assess supply chain disruption and the sudden drop in market demand caused by the COVID-19 emergency,” Nissan said in a statement cited by the news agency.

Reuters added PSA’s Vauxhall plant at Ellesmere Port car factory near Liverpool in northern England was also due to close on Tuesday until 27 March as party of the parent company’s plans to shut sites across the continent to handle the crisis.