LONDON (AP) \u2014 Nissan will invest $1.4 billion to update its factory in northeast England to make electric versions of its two best-selling cars, a boost for the British government as it tries to revive the country\u2019s\u00a0ailing economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Japanese automaker manufactures the gasoline or gas-hybrid Qashqai and smaller Juke crossover vehicles at the factory in Sunderland, which employs 6,000 workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nissan Motor Co. said it\u2019s directly investing up to 1.12 billion pounds ($1.4 billion) to\u00a0produce electric successors\u00a0to the two models. The money also will enable \u201cwider investment in infrastructure projects and the supply chain, including a new gigafactory\u201d for EV batteries at the site, the government said in a separate press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNissan\u2019s investment is a massive vote of confidence in the U.K.\u2019s automotive industry,\u201d which contributes 71 billion pounds a year to the economy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunak visited the factory for the announcement, posing for photos with Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt in front of a blue Qashqai on the assembly line, meeting workers and getting a tour from plant staff. The day before, Hunt announced\u00a0tax cuts and other budget priorities\u00a0ahead of a national election next year, coming as economic growth is weak in the U.K. and\u00a0still-high inflation\u00a0is squeezing consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Qashqai is the U.K.\u2019s second most popular vehicle this year, while the Juke is the seventh. Nissan also said it will make the next generation of its long-running Leaf electric car at the factory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company said in 2021 that it planned to\u00a0build an electric vehicle at the factory, alongside batteries made next door by supplier AESC, owned by China\u2019s Envision. AESC already has two gigafactories in Sunderland, and Friday\u2019s announcement adds a third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
EVs are \u201cat the heart of our plans to achieve carbon neutrality,\u201d Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida said in a statement. \u201cWith electric versions of our core European models on the way, we are accelerating towards a new era for Nissan, for industry and for our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nissan has set a target of electrifying its entire European passenger car lineup by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith today\u2019s announcement, we are making that vision happen,\u201d Uchida said at the plant, which temporarily stopped production for the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The future of Nissan\u2019s Sunderland had been in question before and after\u00a0Britain\u2019s 2016 vote to leave the European Union. Brexit opponents said leaving the bloc without a trade deal would damage Britain\u2019s economy because companies like Nissan would face tariffs on exports to the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The auto industry is bracing for 10%\u00a0post-Brexit trade tariffs\u00a0taking effect in January. They threaten to raise the cost of new EVs by punishing manufacturers in their respective markets for not sourcing enough of their components from either the EU or Britain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many EV makers will struggle to meet the requirement because Europe lags behind Asia in battery production. Nissan, however, is the only carmaker in the U.K. with a dedicated battery plant nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nissan joins other automakers making the transition to EV production in the U.K., even as\u00a0Sunak pushed back a deadline\u00a0to end the sale of new gas and diesel cars by five years, to 2035.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
BMW said earlier this year that it\u2019s investing 600 million pounds into its\u00a0Mini factory\u00a0in Oxford, England, to start making electric vehicles by 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India\u2019s Tata Sons, which owns Jaguar Land Rover, is building a 4 billion-pound\u00a0EV battery factory\u00a0in the U.K. that\u2019s expected to produce about 40 gigawatt hours of battery cells every year, enough to provide half the U.K.\u2019s electric vehicle batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stellantis, parent company of British automaker Vauxhall, is\u00a0investing 100 million pounds\u00a0to make electric vans and cars in northwestern England.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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