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Lucy Winskell OBE, Chair of the North East LEP, responds to the announcement Nissan plans to invest up to £3bn in electric vehicle production in Sunderland

“Today’s announcement from Nissan reinforces the company’s commitment to the North East, and signals a new future for car manufacturing in our region.

“Not only will it protect thousands of existing jobs at its world leading manufacturing plant, it paves the way for more and better jobs as the company accelerates its transition to full electrification by 2030. Nissan’s commitment to manufacture future electric versions of the Qashqai, JUKE, and LEAF models follows a £1bn investment by Nissan and its partners to build a new electric vehicle hub – EV36Zero – which will create a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem in Sunderland.

“The automotive sector in the North East, and the wider advanced manufacturing industry that supports it, is key to the future success of our region’s economy. Thanks to the adoption of new smart technology across the sector, we’re creating a workforce that is equipped with the skills needed for the jobs of the future. That’s helping to attract investment into the North East and position the region as one of the world’s leading hubs for green energy and advanced manufacturing. 

“As a pioneer in electric vehicles, Nissan’s continued investment in the North East means we can capitalise on the huge economic opportunities provided by the transition to electrification. It also means as a region, we can play a leading role in government’s ambition to reach net zero by 2050.”

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North East LEP response to Nissan’s announcement of new Sunderland gigafactory

As Nissan announced its plans to create a new electric model and battery plant in Sunderland, creating more than 6,000 jobs, Helen Golightly OBE, Chief Executive of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Nissan’s ongoing commitment to invest in the North East is testament to the skills, talent and expertise in our region’s advanced manufacturing sector. Today’s announcement also recognises the leading role our region has to play in new sustainable forms of energy, like electrification.

“The UK’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050 has accelerated the need for R&D and investment in electric vehicles, and Nissan’s announcement will put our region at the forefront of new developments in this sector.

“Nissan’s plans for its Sunderland plant will not only create thousands of direct jobs, but it will also deliver thousands more in the supply chain, ensuring the economic benefits reach right across our region.”

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In conversation with Innovation Board Member, Dr Colin Herron from electric vehicle consultancy Zero Carbon Futures

The future is electric and the North East is in pole position to take the lead

The widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EV) is something that the North East has been gearing up to for the last six years and it is recognised as one of the North East LEP’s smart spec areas. Since 2013, the manufacture of the all-electric Nissan LEAF has been happening here in Sunderland and many companies, including ourselves, have been working on projects, research and product development surrounding the emergence of this technology.

Change is certainly coming. Latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that electric car sales in the UK are rising at a dramatic rate. There are now on average around 2,400 electric cars registered each month which represents just over 1% of the total new car market.

However, I would argue that we’re nowhere near there yet. The driving range of the current electric vehicles on the market is currently good but not good enough. I have driven 20,000 miles in my Nissan LEAF so I can speak from experience when I say that we need more powerful batteries and faster charging. What I really want is to be able to drive 150 miles on one charge and for a charge to take around 10 minutes. That will be the game changer for electric vehicle sales.

It was therefore a significant announcement made by Nissan at the start of this year that they would be investing in the production of the future generation of electric vehicle batteries at its Sunderland plant. This commitment signals Nissan’s vision for zero-emission motoring and is also great news for the region – safeguarding 300 highly-skilled jobs in manufacturing, maintenance and engineering.

It’s also good for the electric vehicle industry in the region. At the same time, Nissan also announced a new project, supported by the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre, which will team the company with partners including Zero Carbon Futures, Hyperdrive Innovation and Newcastle University to work on battery development projects. This project will keep help our expertise to grow.

Of course with more powerful batteries comes the need for increased charging capacity. Charge points are going to need to get better and faster. So this announcement links with another coup for the region. In January, it was announced that the North East Combined Authority has been awarded £1.5 million from the Government’s ‘Go Ultra Low’ programme. The funding will help the region develop the next generation of charging facilities in the shape of new electric vehicle filling stations. The stations, which will be situated on the Science Central development in Newcastle and on the A19 on the outskirts of Sunderland, will echo a conventional fuel station in image incorporating 6 – 8 rapid charge points and perhaps even café facilities making filling up with electricity an acceptable norm. This filling station model will be a first for the UK and it will be something that other cities will be watching with interest.

Having worked in the automotive sector for the last 40 years, there’s never been a more exciting time than now. It’s great that the North East has proven itself to be a forerunner in electric vehicles and these announcements will make sure that we stay ahead of the game when it comes to future developments.

Dr Colin Herron is a member of the North East LEP Innovation Board and managing director of electric vehicle consultancy Zero Carbon Futures