Nissan has unveiled Nissan EV36Zero, a £1 billion flagship Electric Vehicle (EV) Hub creating a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem in the UK including a new battery gigafactory.
Centred around its manufacturing plant in the city of Sunderland, the car maker says ‘Nissan EV36Zero will supercharge the company’s drive to carbon neutrality’.
The project has been launched with an initial £1bn investment by Nissan and its partners Envision AESC, a global player in world-leading battery technology.
Comprised of three interconnected initiatives, Nissan EV36Zero brings together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production, setting a blueprint for the future of the automotive industry.
Nissan will also invest up to £423 million to produce a new-generation all-electric vehicle in the UK. The new crossover will be built on the Alliance CMF-EV platform, with a forecasted production capacity of up to 100,000 units.
Nissan President and Chief Executive Officer, Makoto Uchida, says: “This project comes as part of Nissan’s pioneering efforts to achieve carbon neutrality throughout the entire lifecycle of our products. Our comprehensive approach includes not only the development and production of EVs, but also the use of on-board batteries as energy storage and their reuse for secondary purposes.”
He adds: “Our announcement today comes out of lengthy discussions held within our teams, and will greatly accelerate our efforts in Europe to achieve carbon neutrality. The experience and know-how gained through the project announced today will be shared globally, enhancing Nissan’s global competitiveness. Nissan will continue to leverage its strengths in electrification to become a company that continues to provide value to its customers and society.”
Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer, Ashwani Gupta, comments: “This is a landmark day for Nissan, our partners, the UK and the automotive industry as a whole. Nissan EV36Zero will transform the idea of what is possible for our industry and set a roadmap for the future for all. We reached a new frontier with the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market all-electric vehicle. Now, with our partners, Nissan will pioneer the next phase of the automotive industry as we accelerate towards full electrification and carbon neutrality.”
Envision AESC already owns and operates Europe’s first battery plant in Sunderland, established in 2012 for the localisation of Nissan LEAF battery production. The new gigafactory will create 750 jobs and safeguard the jobs of 300 current employees.
Lei Zhang, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Envision Group, states: “Envision Group’s mission is to be the net zero technology partner of choice for global enterprises, governments, and cities. We are therefore delighted to be a part of EV36Zero with Nissan and Sunderland City Council. As part of this, Envision AESC will invest £450m in a new, cutting-edge, low-carbon gigafactory in Sunderland creating 700 new jobs.”
He adds: “This commitment builds on our long-term partnership with Nissan to achieve our global ambition to make high performance, longer range batteries for EVs affordable and accessible for millions more motorists.”
Nissan started production in Sunderland in July 1986, 35 years ago this month. Since then the plant has grown into the biggest plant in the history of the UK automotive industry, supporting 46,000 UK jobs.
Keyword: Nissan Unveils UK Electric Vehicle (EV) Hub Including New Battery Gigafactory