End of the road for Nissan Leaf as manufacturing is halted in Sunderland
- The Leaf has been constructed within the North East since 2013 – some 270k have been made
- Nissan says it has now reached the tip of its lifecycle – substitute due in 2026
- Japanese maker has made a £2bn dedication to construct future EVs within the UK
Nissan has ceased manufacturing of its Leaf electrical automotive in Sunderland, which in current months had been the one mass-market EV inbuilt Britain.
It ends a 13-year spell spanning two generations for Leaf, which is among the most inexpensive family-size electrical automobiles available on the market immediately ranging from £28,495.
Nissan confirmed the information to This is Money on Friday, saying Leaf had ‘reached the tip of its lifecycle in Europe’, although reiterated the corporate’s dedication to creating EVs in Britain.
The Japanese model will now deal with preparations for the Leaf’s electrical substitute, which is due in 2026 as a part of a brand new £2billion funding in EV manufacturing on the North East manufacturing facility.
Nissan has confirmed to This is Money that UK manufacturing of the present Leaf EV in Sunderland (pictured) will stop this week as the electrical mannequin reaches the tip of its lifecycle. Its substitute is due in 2026
Nissan says that whereas manufacturing is stopping this week, the automotive stays on sale and is obtainable to prospects as regular by means of current inventory.
‘The Leaf has lengthy impressed a loyal following from house owners, who extremely reward the automotive’s reliability and ease of possession, so robust provide and the present vary of client presents guarantee it stays an inexpensive and accessible route for anybody desirous to make the change to an electrical automotive,’ a model spokesperson instructed us.
Since manufacturing of the Leaf started in Japan in 2010, over 650,000 examples of the battery-powered household hatchback have been bought globally.
Included on this complete is 270,000 automobiles produced on the Sunderland plant, the place meeting of Leaf for the European market has taken place since 2013.
An announcement offered to us by a Nissan spokesperson added: ‘After 13 years of nice success, the Nissan Leaf, the world’s first mass-market 100 per cent electrical automobile, is approaching the tip of its life cycle in Europe.
‘In the UK, the Leaf stays on sale in 2024.
‘With a spread of nice client presents and good provide at Nissan dealerships, it continues to be an inexpensive and accessible possibility for purchasers seeking to change to electrical motoring.’
The finish of manufacturing of Leaf comes simply months after Mini stopped making the Electric Hatchback at its Oxford manufacturing facility.
Manufacturing of the brand new Mini E and electrical Countryman has shifted to China – as a part of a take care of Great Wall – and Germany, although BMW has introduced the Cowley manufacturing facility will likely be repurposed into an EV website for 2030 following a £600million overhaul.
Rolls-Royce’s electrical Spectre is assembled at its Goodwood website and LEVC makes passenger variations of its EVs in Ansty, although each are comparatively small-volume outputs.
It means Leaf was the UK’s final remaining mass-production electrical automotive earlier than the subsequent technology of EVs emerge available on the market in the direction of the tip of the last decade.
This consists of three new Nissan fashions, that are destined to be inbuilt Britain.
The Nissan spokesperson added: ‘Nissan has already introduced a brand new line-up of 100 per cent electrical autos for the European market to be produced in Sunderland plant as a part of our dedication to sustainability and electrification.’
Nissan in November 2023 confirmed a £2billion funding in Britain that can see it produce three new EVs at its Sunderland manufacturing facility (pictured)
Nissan’s automotive manufacturing facility has been on the heartbeat of the North East metropolis of Sunderland for many years. It was opened again in 1986
Is this the tip of the street for electrical automobiles?
The information that Leaf manufacturing is ending this week comes within the wake of Aston Martin’s announcement that it’s delaying the arrival of its first EV mannequin by a 12 months to 2026 and affirmation that Apple has axed its plans to enter the electrical automotive market.
However, to recommend {that a} luxurious automotive maker’s marginally adjusted EV schedule and a tech firm’s determination to finish flimsy plans to enter the market is a sign of the ‘finish of the street for electrical automobiles’ could not be wider of the mark – even regardless of a current downturn in EV demand within the UK.
Sales of electrical automobiles to personal consumers in Britain have been dropping for the reason that finish of 2022.
The UK’s motor business commerce physique says Rishi Sunak’s determination to postpone the ban on gross sales of latest petrol and diesel automobiles from 2030 to 2035 additional decelerated the transition as drivers opted to delay their change to EVs.
This was mirrored by a big fall in gross sales in January, with EV registrations down 25.1 per cent on the identical month in 2023.
That mentioned, the introduction of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate this 12 months means automotive makers might want to promote a a lot bigger share of EVs from 2024 onwards in the event that they wish to keep away from costly penalties from the UK Government.
In reality, a couple of in 5 (22 per cent) of all new motors registered in Britain this 12 months will have to be electrical to keep away from fines of £15,000 per automobile beneath the edge.
And plenty of main producers have already pinned their flag to the EV mast and are shifting in the direction of electrifying their automotive ranges.
Of the 44 ‘mainstream’ auto makers which are hottest in Britain, 20 have already dedicated to promoting solely EVs from 2030 or earlier.
Some battery automobiles are extra widespread than others.
The Tesla Model Y, as an illustration, has been a roaring success.
In 2023, it was Britain’s fifth hottest new motor, with virtually 36,000 registrations eclipsing evergreen automobiles just like the VW Golf and Ford Focus within the gross sales charts.
The electrical SUV was Europe’s most-bought new automotive final 12 months with practically 250,000 gross sales in complete and – in keeping with provisional knowledge – will likely be named the world’s hottest new automotive of 2023 having amassed a staggering 1.2million gross sales.
As such, it could be extraordinarily naïve to point that that is the start of the tip for electrical automobiles.
This graphic exhibits the dedication of various automotive manufacturers to promote solely electrical automobiles in Britain. As you possibly can see, 20 plan to be EV-only by 2030
What’s subsequent for Nissan Sunderland?
The Sunderland manufacturing facility, which is Britain’s largest automotive plant when it comes to each scale and automobile outputs will proceed to supply the Juke and Qashqai fashions and can begin making the Leaf’s EV substitute from 2026 as a part of a brand new multi-billion-pound deal.
In November, the Japanese marque confirmed a £2billion funding that can see it produce three new EVs earlier than the flip of the last decade.
Nissan will make a ‘direct funding of as much as £1.12billion’ to fund the transfer, whereas the remainder will likely be offered by companions resembling battery provider AESC.
It is known that the entire monetary bundle – which may even fund the constructing of an extra battery making ‘gigafactory’ – does embody vital authorities backing, though phrases of this haven’t been disclosed.
The funding will present a contemporary increase for the corporate’s EV36Zero mission infrastructure and assist hundreds of jobs each within the North East and the UK’s wider provide chain.
The new totally electrical replacements for immediately’s Juke (proper) and Qashqai (centre) will likely be constructed on the Sunderland plant alongside the next-generation Leaf EV (left), Nissan bosses confirmed
During a go to to the Sunderland automotive plant in November, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, mentioned: ‘Nissan’s funding is an enormous vote of confidence within the UK’s automotive business, which already contributes an enormous £71bn a 12 months to our financial system’
Commenting on the tip of manufacturing of Leaf, former Nissan boss Andy Palmer – who was instrumental in bringing EV manufacturing to Sunderland, mentioned on X (previously Twitter): ‘I’m saddened that Nissan is ending Leaf manufacturing in Sunderland.
‘Nissan was a real pioneer of electrical autos.
‘The was the primary mass-market electrical automobile and has been top-of-the-line sellers ever since.
‘The proven fact that these autos have been inbuilt Sunderland was an ideal level of pleasure, not only for me as the manager who introduced the Leaf right here, however for the United Kingdom’s auto business as a complete.
‘My ideas are with the numerous expert staff in Sunderland who work on the Leaf and will likely be anxious by this information. I look ahead to reengagement of Leaf with NMUK [Nissan Manufacturing UK] from 2026.
Ginny Buckley, editor-in-chief at EV-dedicated web site Electrifying.com added: ‘The Nissan Leaf is a real electrical superhero, seems to be clever it may be Clark Kent to Tesla’s Superman, however this small electrical hatchback has transformed legions of drivers to the thrill of battery powered automobiles, saving billions of kilograms of CO2 emissions from coming into the environment alongside the best way.
‘But the laborious reality is that even superheroes begin to present their age and the Leaf is now wanting outdated in comparison with the most recent fashions.
‘However, a £2billion pound funding from Nissan will see the Leaf make a comeback, when a brand new model will likely be manufactured in Sunderland alongside electrical model of Nissans finest promoting Qashqai and Juke fashions.’
