Sunderland chosen as base for £1bn flagship electric vehicle hub

Following collaboration with Sunderland City Council, Nissan recently unveiled Nissan EV36Zero, a £1 billion flagship Electric Vehicle (EV) Hub, creating a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem right here in our region.

This is an incredibly exciting development, from both a global/ environmental and local/ investment perspective. The projects represent 6,500 jobs at Nissan and its UK suppliers, including more than 900 new Nissan jobs and 750 new jobs at a second local Envision-AESC Gigafactory (facility that produces batteries for electric vehicles on a large scale).

The transformational project was 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.

As part of the £1bn announcement:

• Nissan will invest £432m to produce a new-generation all-electric vehicle in the UK. Production in Sunderland will create 909 new jobs in the city, and more than 4,500 in the UK supply chain, while safeguarding a further 75 R&D jobs, securing £1bn wages per year in UK automotive
• Envision-AESC, which already operates Europe’s first Gigafactory in Sunderland, will invest £450m to build its second Gigafactory on the International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP). The new Gigafactory will create 750 jobs and safeguard the jobs of 300 current staff
• Sunderland City Council is aiming to deliver a 100% renewable electricity ‘Microgrid’ that will save 55,000 tonnes of carbon annually and supply and store energy needed to power Nissan 36Zero. The first-of-its-kind, this project is estimated to be an £80 million investment

Speaking about the £1bn EV Hub, Sunderland Council chief executive, Patrick Melia, said: “Nissan EV36Zero is a momentous milestone for the city and the product of months of hard work that will deliver many years of benefit for Sunderland and its people. We are delighted that all the hard work by everyone involved has led to this hugely significant announcement.”

This development demonstrates the level of ambition this council has for Sunderland Our Smart City. Nissan EV36Zero and the local investment it brings with it, places Sunderland at the centre of electric vehicle production in Europe and puts us on the digital map globally.

The EV Hub compounds our ability to drive the electric revolution. It represents how we collaborate with the private sector and Government to bring nationally significant projects to fruition, creating jobs and prosperity for our people and businesses in the process.

Highlighting our digital ambitions and growth capabilities to an international audience, this announcement positions Sunderland Our Smart City as an urban centre for the future, with digital transformation and technology at its heart for the mutual benefit of people and place.