Nissan to Build LEAF Electric Car in UK From 2013

[lino]

Source: http://www.google.com/hostedne...wJqrg



Nissan to make electric cars in Britain from 2013

(AFP) – 2 hours ago

TOKYO — Nissan Motor will start building its Leaf electric car at its British plant from early 2013, the Japanese car maker said Thursday, saving more than 2,000 jobs.

The factory in Sunderland, which will also manufacture the vehicle's lithium-ion batteries, will be the third earmarked to produce the zero-emission cars after plants in Oppama, Japan and the US state of Tennessee.

The investment of more than 420 million pounds (468 million euros, 642 million dollars) will help maintain about 2,250 jobs at Nissan and across its British supply chain, the company said in a statement.

Initial output will be about 50,000 vehicles a year from early 2013. The Leaf is due to go on sale worldwide this year with production beginning in Japan, while the US factory will start in 2012.

"The three production sites will support the sales launch of the model, which begins in late 2010 in Japan, the United States and selected European markets, ahead of global mass marketing from 2012," the company said.

Nissan said construction of its battery plant at Sunderland will begin next month. With a capacity of 60,000 units a year, it will start making batteries in 2012 for both Nissan and its alliance partner Renault.

The investment will be supported by a 20.7 million pound grant from the British government and a proposed finance package from the European Investment Bank of up to 220 million euros, it said.

Andy Palmer, senior vice president at Nissan Motor, said: "The world is at the dawn of a new era in automotive transport."

"Nissan Leaf, which will go on sale later this year, is a five-seater hatchback that offers the same space, practicality and performance of a similar car in its class -- minus the tailpipe emissions."

Zero-emission cars are gaining traction as concern has grown over the pollution caused by conventional petrol cars.

Mitsubishi Motors last year rolled out the i-MiEV, and Fuji Heavy the Subaru Plug-in Stella, both in Japan.

Toyota, which has focused on hybrids, has promised to launch its own version by 2012 and started leasing a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle since late last year, one year earlier than initially planned.

Shares in Nissan rose 0.77 percent to 780 yen by noon in Tokyo trade.

[MinisterofDOOM]

The cynic in me (so, all of me) can't help but wonder why it's necessary to have THREE production facilities for a car with such narrow appeal. Will sales support it? How long will all 3 facilities continue production? I wouldn't be surprised if one of them ceased Leaf production after a short period due to lack of need.

[Rob.Vegan]

Can't imagine this car doing too well right away but maybe after a couple years of release it'll pick up.

It looks pretty decent but those tail lights need some time to grow on me

[MinisterofDOOM]

I'm trying to figure out why the hatch is sunk 3 inches into the a** end of the car. I understand the need for bumper protrusion so you don't need a new liftgate from a minor bump, but above that there's no reason for it not to be flush with the rest of the car.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Christ look at the size of those plugs.

[Otto.]

I think they can clean the concepts looks up a bit before production. It looks too much like a Versa (the concept, obviously not the test vehicle... because that is a Versa.).