WATCH: Nissan could slash jobs or close Sunderland factory in bid to save money as locals react
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'Our world-class manufacturing and engineering team has been building Qashqai with pride since 2006'
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Nissan has confirmed a major expansion of its UK operations with the start of production of its "most technologically advanced" vehicle yet.
Workers at the Sunderland plant have started developing the new e-POWER Qashqai following a £2billion investment into the British factory two years ago.
The latest Qashqai will be built on Production Line One and powered by a new generation of Nissan's electrified e-POWER powertrain.
Upgrades to the latest Qashqai model include the best fuel efficiency seen in a C-Crossover vehicle, with 62mph and a potential range of 745 miles.
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Nissan's Sunderland Plant celebrates launch of Qashqai equipped with new e-POWER
NISSAN
The Qashqai e-POWER also features lower emissions than previous generations, with Nissan stating that it was bringing the hybrid closer in line with a pure electric vehicle.
More than 4.5 million Qashqai models have been made at the Sunderland plant, which is the UK's biggest factory and employs around 6,000 people.
Alongside being the largest employer in Sunderland, the Nissan factory produces one car every two and a half minutes on average.
The e-POWER platform was designed by Nissan to deliver an electric-drive experience without requiring motorists to plug the vehicles in.
READ MORE: Nissan to cut hundreds of jobs at Sunderland factory despite £2bn electric car investment
The e-POWER technology aims to give the Qashqai an EV-like feel
NISSAN
The wheels in an e-POWER car are driven solely by an electric motor, in addition to a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine used to generate electricity.
Adam Pennick, vice president for manufacturing in the UK at Nissan, said: "Our world-class manufacturing and engineering team has been building Qashqai with pride since 2006.
"That's why we have the perfect blend of experience, skill and technical expertise to manufacture Qashqai with this fantastic new e-POWER drivetrain."
Pennick added that it was "exciting" to see the e-POWER battery being fitted on the production line.
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He suggested that customers worldwide would "love" the new "no-compromises electrified powertrain" when the upgraded Qashqai is released.
Other improvements to the new Qashqai include lowering CO2 emissions from 116g/km to 102g/km and reducing the noise inside the cabin to an "EV-like" refinement.
Nissan is also preparing the Sunderland plant for the production of the next generation of the new electric Nissan Leaf model.
This will be the first vehicle launched as part of the EV46Zero project, and will be followed by a pure battery electric version of the popular Juke model.
Pennick continued, saying: "Building fantastic cars that our customers love is what we do best.
"To see these cutting-edge vehicles driving silently off our lines shows we are pushing forward with our EV36Zero vision for EV manufacturing."
The Japanese manufacturer announced at the end of June that it would be cutting around 250 jobs at the Sunderland factory over the coming months.
This comes on the back of poor financial results for the brand, which has struggled to keep up with other manufacturers as they adapt to a zero emission future.