Production of the new Nissan Leaf in SunderlandImage: NissanFrom 2027, the Sunderland plant will also produce a battery-electric version of the Juke, followed shortly by a battery-electric Qashqai. It will bring the plant’s total to three battery-electric vehicle model ranges. The production facilities in Sunderland have long been designed to manufacture vehicles with different powertrains on a single line. In 2025, Sunderland produced 273,174 Nissans, compared to over half a million cars in 2019, according to the portal Autocar.Nissan plans to shut down one production line in the second half of this year, though the exact date has yet to be announced. The move is not intended to reduce production capacity but rather to consolidate two underutilised lines into one with high utilisation.At the same time, Nissan will convert the remaining production line to a three-shift operation to offset the reduced capacity. According to the company, the restructuring will not result in production job cuts at the Sunderland plant. Instead, employees will be reassigned to support the new three-shift setup.Nissan appears to be focusing on production line 2 in the future. In recent years, the Japanese manufacturer has invested nearly half a billion euros in the site to prepare the plant for the production of the current Leaf model—series production has been underway since mid-December 2025. As part of this process, production line 2 was upgraded for electric vehicles, making it the more modern of the two lines.Nissan to cut 900 jobs across EuropeWhile jobs in Sunderland’s production are expected to remain secure, this does not apply to all positions across Nissan’s European operations. The carmaker has confirmed that discussions are underway regarding a reduction of approximately ten per cent of its European workforce, equating to around 900 jobs. According to reports by the BBC, citing a Nissan spokesperson, part of the warehouse in Barcelona will be closed, and vehicle imports to Nordic countries will be reorganised. Nissan operated its own plant in Barcelona until 2021 and maintained a warehouse there after shutting down production.The planned job cuts in Europe are part of the restructuring plan ‘RE:Nissan.’ The measures aim ‘to create a leaner, more resilient business that adapts quickly to market changes.’ It is currently unclear which markets and departments will be affected by further cuts, as discussions are still ongoing.Discussions are also taking place on another level: a further carmaker could utilise the capacity of the soon-to-be-shut-down production line in Sunderland to expand its European manufacturing without investing in a new plant.According to the BBC, the Chinese manufacturer Chery is among the companies in talks with Nissan about production in Sunderland. Reports of such a ‘sublease’ arrangement involving Chery first emerged in April. The two companies already share a history in this regard: Chery is currently setting up its first European assembly plant in Nissan’s former factory in the Zona Franca in Barcelona.Chery was unavailable for comment when approached by the BBC. However, the broadcaster cited statements by Victor Zhang, Head of Chery UK, indicating that the company is exploring the establishment of a production site in the UK. Chery has been active in the UK since late 2024 and has reportedly achieved rapid sales growth there. According to data from the SMMT, Chery’s brands Jaecoo and Omoda recently captured nearly five per cent of the UK market, surpassing Nissan’s 3.7 per cent share in the first four months of 2026.bbc.com, autocar.co.uk