In a boost for the UK automotive sector, Japanese car maker Nissan has announced £2 billion in investment that will enable three electric vehicle (EV) models to be built at its Sunderland factory.
In addition to the Leaf electric model that is already being produced there, the plant will also make electric versions of the Juke and Qashqai models. A major new battery plant has also been announced to produce the additional batteries needed for the vehicles.
While the UK Government’s ban on petrol and diesel cars has been put back to 2035, Nissan has previously said it intends to stick to its original strategy for producing EVs only by 2030. The investment is therefore critical to safeguarding around 6,000 direct jobs, as well as potentially thousands more in the supply chain.
Nissan will receive taxpayer support for the scheme through the Automotive Transformation Fund, which is run by the UK Government. The senior vice president for supply chain and manufacturing at Nissan, Alan Johnson, did not disclose the value of this support, however, saying:
“The support we have received in the past has been excellent and we’re very grateful for the support we do receive. The truth is discussions are ongoing with the government, not concluded, and therefore I’m not in a position at the moment to make any announcement or any comment about any numbers.”
EVs of course have very different lubricant needs, but at TrAchem, we can supply these alongside lubricants like Mobil 1 and Castrol GTX for your non-EV fleet. Speak with our team to learn more.
