Nissan
has unveiled Nissan EV36Zero, a one billion pound (Rs 10,000 crore approx.) flagship
Electric Vehicle (EV) Hub creating a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem.
Centered
around the record-breaking plant in Sunderland, UK, Nissan EV36Zero will
supercharge the company’s drive to carbon neutrality and establish a new
360-degree solution for zero-emission motoring.
The
transformational project has been launched with an initial £1bn investment by
Nissan and its partners Envision AESC, a global player in world-leading battery
technology, and Sunderland City Council. 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
President and Chief Executive Officer, Makoto Uchida said: “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.
“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.”
UK
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “Nissan’s announcement to build its
new-generation all-electric vehicle in Sunderland, alongside a new gigafactory
from Envision-AESC, is a major vote of confidence in the UK and our
highly-skilled workers in the North East.
“Building
on over 30 years of history in the area, this is a pivotal moment in our
electric vehicle revolution and securing its future for decades to come.
“Commitments
like these exemplify our ability to create hundreds of green jobs and boost
British industry, whilst also allowing people to travel in an affordable and
sustainable way so we can eliminate our contributions to climate change.”
Unveiling
Nissan EV36Zero at the Sunderland Plant today, Nissan’s Chief Operating
Officer, Ashwani Gupta, said: “This is a landmark day for Nissan, our partners,
the UK and the automotive industry as a whole. Nissan EV36Zerowill 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.”
Building
on Nissan’s historic 35 years of manufacturing excellence in Sunderland, the
projects represent 6,200 jobs at Nissan and its UK suppliers, including more
than 900 new Nissan jobs and 750 new Envision AESC jobs at its new smart,
low-carbon battery plant. Longer-term, the transformational project modernises
and expands Nissan’s EV production capability in the UK.
Envision
AESC, the battery arm of global green tech company Envision Group, will deploy
integrated AIoT smart technology to monitor and optimize energy consumption,
manufacturing and maintenance at its new gigafactory, enabling it to rapidly
increase production and provide batteries to power up to 100,000 Nissan
electric vehicles a year.
A new-generation
electric crossover
As
part of the £1 billion announcement, Nissan will invest up to £423 million to
produce a new-generation all-electric vehicle in the UK. Building on Nissan’s
expertise in crossovers and the worldwide success of the Nissan LEAF, it
promises next-generation vehicle styling, efficiency and battery technology,
making the switch to electric driving even more accessible.
Designed
for global markets, UK production will be exported to the European markets
traditionally served by Nissan’s Sunderland plant. The new crossover will be
built on the Alliance CMF-EV platform, with a forecasted production capacity of
up to 100,000 units to be installed.
Production
in Sunderland will create 909 new jobs at the plant, and more than 4,500 in the
UK supply chain, while safeguarding a further 75 R&D jobs. The
transformational project takes the total capital investment by Nissan into the
plant past £5bn, and also includes:
·
R&D at Nissan’s
European Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire
·
Support for UK
suppliers to transition to electric vehicles
·
Plant
competitiveness and environmental improvements
·
Skills development
in the Nissan workforce for future technologies
Other
production locations have not yet been confirmed. More details about the new
vehicle, including pricing and technology, will be released closer to the car's
sales launch.
With
next-generation EV batteries
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
factory’s UK team has nine years’ expertise from supplying batteries to the
Nissan LEAF and eNV200, having produced enough cells, modules and packs to
power over 180,000 electric vehicles in 44 countries, meeting global benchmark
levels of quality, performance, safety, reliability and cost.
Supporting
this new model allocation, Envision AESC will invest £450 million to build the
UK’s first gigafactory on the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP),
adjacent to the Nissan plant, powered by renewable energy and pioneering
next-generation battery technology.