The news comes just weeks after the Japanese firm - with support from the UK Government - confirmed it is to have a battery-making plant close to its Wearside vehicle production factory. Some of the new jobs will be responsible for preparing the plant for an increased electric vehicle output, including the requirement for new machinery and a separate production line. Sunderland has built almost four million Qashqais in totalThe Qashqai has for over a decade been the UK's most bought SUV. Since the first-generation car launched in 2006, nearly four million Qashqais have been built at the North East factory. Nissan's Sunderland plant - which also builds the quirky Juke crossover - is also the largest car factory in UK history, with one in three of all cars made in Britain rolling off its production lines.

Source: The Nation July 26, 2021 10:52 UTC