Nissan’s £10m battery assembly line in Sunderland has started manufacturing battery packs for electric vehicles, with a promise that staff will be continuously trained on manufacturing EVs. 

Electric vehicle battery manufacturing 

The battery packs will be used in Nissan’s most successful EV models, as a part of a £500m investment plan by the company to build the Qashqai and Juke models.

The Nissan Qashqai uses an e-power system, while the Juke is equipped with an advanced hybrid powertrain. 

Alan Johnson, Vice President of Manufacturing, Nissan was ready to lead the world in electric vehicle manufacturing.

"Both e-POWER and hybrid technologies are firsts for the team in Sunderland,” said Johnson. “With more than five million customers, Qashqai and Juke are two of our plant’s most successful and popular models ever. Both e-Power and hybrid technologies are firsts for the team in Sunderland, so it’s fantastic to see the electrified versions rolling off our two production lines.”

Nissan’s new electric vehicle manufacturing site

This follows the news of the flagship electric vehicle manufacturing site, EV36Zero, a £1bn plant which will incorporate renewable energy and battery production.

“Our plant is built on the foundations of 36 years of manufacturing excellence from our world-class people and advanced facilities,” Johnson continued. “Two million hours of training just for electrification shows we are taking that to the next level, as we lead the charge towards an electrified future.

“Nissan will of course continue to deliver brilliant, technologically advanced, cars to the high standards of quality that our customers have come to love.