Photo: Nissan
Nissan has committed to making more batteries for electric vehicles in the United Kingdom.
The Japanese company will use its Sunderland factory to make the next generation of batteries for electric cars. The £26,5 million ($37,5 million) investment safeguards 300 highly skilled (and well paid) jobs at the 30-year-old plant.
If you are wondering why this is a big deal, you should know that Nissan’s Sunderland plant is the largest facility in the history of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the change will make this specific factory the largest lithium-ion battery plant of its kind in Europe.
Nissan has been making electric cars in Sunderland since 2013, when it invested £420 million ($595 million) in accommodating the production of the Leaf and its components.
The highly skilled workers did not come out of the sky, as Nissan partnered with several Universities and other technology partners to pave the way for future engineers that would further develop batteries for electric vehicles.
Nissan makes batteries for its EV in three factories across the world. The other European plant used by Nissan to make battery modules for one of its electric models, the e-NV200 electric van, is found in Barcelona, Spain.
The Leaf was recently updated, and the new version will be available at dealers across Europe starting this month. The car has an upgraded range of 155 miles (250 kilometers). However, the Leaf is not Nissan’s first electric vehicle. The first prototype of this type was made by the carmaker 68 years ago, and it was called the Tama Electric Vehicle.
The Japanese brand also marketed the world’s first electric car with a lithium-ion battery in 1996, the Prairie Joy EV. Thanks to that vehicle, Nissan engineers were able to develop the company’s first mass-produced EV, the Leaf.
Investing in making new electric cars is not enough to make them attractive. All carmakers that invested in this technology have rolled out their quick-charging solutions.
In the case of Nissan and Renault, the two alliance partners developed the CHAdeMO Quick Chargers. Currently, there are almost 10,000 CHAdeMO chargers worldwide, each capable of charging a Leaf’s battery from the “low level” alert to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes.
If you are wondering why this is a big deal, you should know that Nissan’s Sunderland plant is the largest facility in the history of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the change will make this specific factory the largest lithium-ion battery plant of its kind in Europe.
Nissan has been making electric cars in Sunderland since 2013, when it invested £420 million ($595 million) in accommodating the production of the Leaf and its components.
The highly skilled workers did not come out of the sky, as Nissan partnered with several Universities and other technology partners to pave the way for future engineers that would further develop batteries for electric vehicles.
Nissan makes batteries for its EV in three factories across the world. The other European plant used by Nissan to make battery modules for one of its electric models, the e-NV200 electric van, is found in Barcelona, Spain.
The Leaf was recently updated, and the new version will be available at dealers across Europe starting this month. The car has an upgraded range of 155 miles (250 kilometers). However, the Leaf is not Nissan’s first electric vehicle. The first prototype of this type was made by the carmaker 68 years ago, and it was called the Tama Electric Vehicle.
The Japanese brand also marketed the world’s first electric car with a lithium-ion battery in 1996, the Prairie Joy EV. Thanks to that vehicle, Nissan engineers were able to develop the company’s first mass-produced EV, the Leaf.
Investing in making new electric cars is not enough to make them attractive. All carmakers that invested in this technology have rolled out their quick-charging solutions.
In the case of Nissan and Renault, the two alliance partners developed the CHAdeMO Quick Chargers. Currently, there are almost 10,000 CHAdeMO chargers worldwide, each capable of charging a Leaf’s battery from the “low level” alert to 80% capacity in just 30 minutes.
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