Nissan launches two NEW electric cars in massive £2billion investment into Britain
Rishi Sunak heralded the investment from Nissan, calling it a 'great day'
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Nissan has announced it will double up to £2billion of new investment to produce two new electric vehicles in its Sunderland plant, with the Prime Minister calling it a “great day” for the UK.
The Japanese brand announced it would start the development of the Nissan Juke and Nissan Qashqai electric vehicle models, on addition to the all-electric Leaf replacement announced in 2021.
Nissan also launched a direct investment of up to £1billion in 2021 to build an electric vehicle hub as the UK attempts to move away from petrol and diesel vehicles.
The Nissan Sunderland production factory has built more than 11 million vehicles since it was opened in 1986, with a new car being made every two minutes, every hour of every day for 37 years.
WATCH NOW: Rishi Sunak on the Nissan Sunderland EV plant investment
Nissan has invested more than £6billion into the UK, with the brand aiming to sell only fully electric vehicles in Europe from 2030.
The Prime Minister announced a delay to the deadline to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035, which was seen as very controversial by some manufacturers.
Rishi Sunak responded to a question on whether the Government’s electric vehicle plans were confused given that public investment was being pumped into an EV expansion.
He said: “This is a great day and I’m delighted to be here in Sunderland at the Nissan plant to celebrate the fact that Nissan and its partners are tripling their investment in the UK to £3billion.
“This is our largest car plant, its future is safeguarded, protecting thousands of jobs and also transitioning to electric vehicles.”
The move was also backed by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch who praised the investment as an “enormous vote of confidence” for the UK.
The automotive industry in the UK supports over 166,000 jobs and contributes a staggering £71billion to the economy every year.
Commenting on the new Nissan investment, Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, said: "The UK’s automotive manufacturing sector continues to demonstrate its investment attractiveness with yet another significant commitment.
“This new announcement from Nissan – coming on the back of billions recently committed by other manufacturers and supported by the UK government – underlines Britain’s position as an increasingly competitive location for electric vehicle production.
“It is tremendous news for the company, its workforce, the region and the UK’s supply chain, which will drive economic growth and decarbonisation across the UK.”
Rishi Sunak continued, saying that the UK had a brilliant track record of investment with a number of companies committing to the future in the UK.
He added: “BMW, Stellantis and Tata with their largest investment outside of India that we announced earlier this year and now here, Nissan in Sunderland.
“All of them committing money to the UK. Building the next generation of electric vehicles in the UK.
“Creating and safeguarding thousands of jobs across the UK. All of those companies think we’re doing the right thing, they actually welcome the changes we made in the Autumn Statement, to make sure we cut taxes for businesses like this who are investing.”
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The Prime Minister added that it was proof the Government was taking the correct approach to net zero, with investment being made and jobs created across the country.