Nissan 'loves' being in Sunderland says Kwasi Kwarteng

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On Monday, the motoring giant announced its Sunderland hub will be used to develop 23 electric vehicle models by 2030. In the intervening nine years, Nissan wants electric models to account for half of its global output.

The car manufacturer said it will spend the huge sum on electric vehicles over the next five years.

It led Arron Banks, co-founder of Leave.EU, to ask on Twitter, “Brexit dividend..?”

Tory MP John Baron told Express.co.uk: “This is excellent news and proves that the combination of a skilled and flexible labour force, low corporation tax and a business-friendly environment was always going to trump the scaremongers when it came to Brexit.

“It shows we’re open for business and to inward investment, and competing on the global stage.”

Business Secretaty Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted: “Delighted to see Nissan are putting the #Sunderland plant [at] the heart of their global effort to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. A stamp of approval for the UK”.

John Longworth, chairman of the Foundation for Independence and Independent Business Network, sharing the news on social media, commented: “DESPITE BREXIT” while Robert Kimbell trumpeted the move, tweeting: “Meanwhile, in the car industry in post-Brexit Britain…”.

To which Brexit supporter, Jonathan Harrison, replied: “Benefits of leaving the EU”.

Express.co.uk reader, Omoni007, commented: “The future is looking very good for us Brits”.

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Fellow reader, Sirgir, added: “It is a MASSIVE show of confidence in the UK. [R]emember all the losers predicting all car companies leaving [the] UK[?] I laughed then, I’m laughing even more now”.

Marco polo 247 wrote: “Yet ANOTHER vote of confidence for Brexit Britain and the hard working men and women from the North East”.

And Thomas Richards described the news as “great”, adding that companies including Shell had seen the difficulties Tesla’s Chief Executive Elon Musk had encountered with bureaucracy in the EU and “made wise decisions”.

This is the first time the company, which made the Leaf electric vehicle (EV), has unveiled a comprehensive electrification plan, according to Reuters.

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Nissan says it will double spending to boost its share of the EV market as rivals including Toyota and Tesla motor ahead with their own electric-car plans.

The 23 electrified vehicles include 15 EVs.

Nissan also wants to cut lithium-ion battery costs by 65 percent within eight years and by March 2029 introduce solid-state batteries which would cut charging times.

In July, the company pledged $1.4 billion with Chinese partner Envision AESC to build a giant battery plant in Britain which would power 100,000 vehicles a year.

Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s chief operating officer, highlighted the importance of the Sunderland plant in comments to PA Media.

He said: “Europe will take the lead on electrification around the world for Nissan.

“In Europe, Sunderland is the one which will take the lead towards electrification.

“Sunderland is the leader, in collaboration with the government, suppliers, dealers and most importantly, our employees.”

Mr Musk blamed delays to the production of a manufacturing plant outside of Berlin on EU red tape in May while Shell announced plans to ditch the Netherlands and relocate its headquarters to Britain in November.

With its plans, Nissan aims to boost sales of electrified vehicles by 75 percent in Europe as well as by 40 percent in both the US and China.

The International Energy Agency says global electric car registrations grew 41 percent in 2020 despite the overall car market contracting by almost a sixth.

At the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, car giants including General Motors and Ford signed a declaration committing them to phase out fossil fuel vehicles by 2040.

Nissan said on Monday half its vehicle mix will be electrified by 2030, including EVs and its e-Power hybrids, in what Mr Gupta described as a reference point which may change.

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