Nissan unveils stunning all new LEAF model which is set to be built in Sunderland with more EV vehicles to follow

Nissan has today (June 17) unveiled its all new LEAF electric car and the city’s manufacturing plant is going to be the hub for the vehicle’s production.

The third generation car is the first LEAF model launched under Nissan’s EV36Zero blueprint for the future of EV production and will be built in the North East by the plant’s team of 6,000 people.

Nissan Sunderland Vice President Manufacturing Adam Pennick with the new Nissan LEAF.placeholder image
Nissan Sunderland Vice President Manufacturing Adam Pennick with the new Nissan LEAF. | Nissan

The EV36Zero project will see the car manufacturing giant use Nissan’s Sunderland headquarters as a hub to build three electric vehicles at three gigafactories as the company strives to become carbon neutral by 2030.

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The new LEAF model has been engineered and fine-tuned to suit the needs of European customers at Nissan’s UK research and development centre, NTCE, in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. It will be powered by batteries from AESC - the UK’S newest gigafactory - which is situated next to the Nissan plant.

Nissan Sunderland have confirmed the next-generation Nissan Qashqai e-POWER will begin manufacture “in the coming months”, followed next year by an all-new fully electric Juke.

As the city’s biggest employer, the news will be welcomed by staff after last month (May) Nissan Sunderland confirmed it was in “detailed study” with the company after it announced it was planning to close seven of its 17 global factories which followed on from reports it was shedding 19,000 jobs.

The news will be welcomed by Nissan Sunderland's 6,000 employees.placeholder image
The news will be welcomed by Nissan Sunderland's 6,000 employees. | Nissan

Alan Johnson, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management at Nissan Motor Manufacturing, said: “It’s with immense pride that we unveil the third-generation of our pioneering electric LEAF, twelve years after we brought EV and battery manufacturing to the UK.

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“It’s a testament to the skill of our world-class team that we can bring into mass production a vehicle with such advanced technology and aerodynamic design. We can’t wait to see it on the roads.”

The new LEAF will be able to travel up to 375 miles on a single charge and will be available for customers to order later this year.

The new Nissan LEAF will be available to order later this year.placeholder image
The new Nissan LEAF will be available to order later this year. | Nissan

James Taylor, managing director of Nissan GB, said: “We’re really excited about the launch of the all-new LEAF later this year. It builds on the success of the previous two generations, which have found homes with more than 70,000 UK customers.

“LEAF is a pioneering electric vehicle that has encouraged thousands to make the switch to electric motoring – and best of all, it’s built here in Britain.”

Nissan has also revealed it is planning on introducing a new EV Micra and “smaller city car” for 2026, as the company strives to become a “a truly sustainable company”.

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