Nissan Brexit Bonus – MORE Electric Car Battery Production in Sunderland

Nissan has revealed that as a result of the Brexit deal production of 62kWh batteries for the Nissan LEAF will be undertaken in Sunderland.

There’s been lots of noise for a long time about the effects of Brexit on car production in the UK, and even though a deal has been done there still seems to be lots of angst in the industry about customs delays and rules of origin. But Nissan seem a lot more positive than most about a post-Brexit production future in the UK.

Thanks to the Brexit deal, and to ensure no problems with rules of origin where 55 per cent of a car needs to be built with UK or EU parts to qualify for tariff-free export to the EU, Nissan has decided to up production of batteries for the LEAF by also building the 62kWh batteries, currently coming from Japan, in Sunderland, in addition to the 40kWh batteries already produced.

Nissan also seems to see the problems of additional forms and customs delays between the EU and UK as no big deal, with Chief Operating Officer, Ashwani Gupta, telling Reuters:

When I look at how Nissan has come out from the crisis of (a) tsunami, earthquake, flood, last week snow, tornadoes…, the startup problem which we are seeing in the ports is peanuts.

For a global manufacturer… to have additional documentation to fill a form at the border is nothing. People prepared for it, we have updated our software, we have updated our processes. It’s OK.

To add to the good news – and Gupta also saying “Brexit, which we thought is a risk, has become an opportunity for Nissan” – the rumour mill has it that Nissan are considering production of both the new Ariya SUV and new X-Trail in Sunderland.