Nissan has started production on its new third-generation Leaf at its plant in Sunderland.
No big deal, you might think – both previous iterations of the car have also been manufactured at the factory in the northeast of England, but the assembly line on the last car came to a halt in March 2024 to get everything ready for the new car.
Nissan says it has spent £450m upgrading and refreshing the factory for production of the car, which directly supports upwards of 6,000 jobs in the area and up to 30,000 more in the wider supply chain.
It’s not just a lick of paint, either – there are 137 new press dies that have been installed (the big stamping machines that form the car’s body panels), 78 new robots in the body shop – though there is paint involved, thanks to installation of new colour palettes.
According to Nissan there are also 475 new self-driving vehicles that deliver parts throughout the factory along preset routes, and of course the 6,000 assembly workers have also needed training on the new car.
Factory boss Adam Pennick said that there is huge excitement and pride in the team at the site. The production of the new Leaf has required a significant investment from Nissan, which has been welcomed by the government.
Business secretary Peter Kyle said: “Sunderland is the beating heart of the UK’s automotive industry, and Nissan's investment is a major commitment to the northeast and a huge vote of confidence in our economy.”
Previous cars were also built at Nissan’s Oppama plant in Japan and Smyrna, Tennessee in the USA, but Sunderland will now split Leaf building duties with the Tochigi plant around 50 miles north of Tokyo.
Helping the Leaf production line is a new battery gigafactory which has been built across the road. Japanese manufacturer AESC will be supplying the battery packs for the Leaf.
The locally concentrated production has helped secure the full level of government plug-in grant support for the Leaf, which comes with a £3,750 discount. Orders are open already, says Nissan, with deliveries starting in February.
The final production version of the car does come with wheels and some other parts added 
