Nissan to build Leaf in Sunderland

By Paul Bond

18th March 2010

Nissan has announced that its new all-electric five-door hatch – the Leaf – will be built in the UK at the company’s Sunderland plant.    

The Leaf is set to be the first mass produced car with zero emissions, and will be the start of a range of eco vehicles from Nissan, with production due to begin early in  2013.   

It will be powered by an 80kW (107bhp) electric motor, twinned with rapid charging lithium-ion batteries, which Nissan claims will give the Leaf a top speed of over 90mph and a range of 100 miles.

The production of the Leaf, and the construction of a new facility to supply the lithium-ion batteries for the car, due to begin in April, represents a £420m investment by Nissan in the UK car industry, and will ensure job security for the 4,100 employees at the Sunderland plant.

The Leaf will be launched in Japan later this year, but we won’t see it on British roads until the worldwide launch in 2012. Nissan plans to build 50,000 Leaf’s per year at the plant, which will also be responsible for producing the new Juke compact SUV.

Andy Palmer, senior vice president, and boss of the company’s global electric car strategy, said the Leaf “is a five-seater hatchback that offers the same space, practicality, and performance of a similar car in its class – minus the tailpipe emissions.” There is no word yet from Nissan on prices, but expect it to cost slightly more than the equivalent Ford Focus.

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