Overview
- Nissan confirmed production has started on Sunderland’s Line 2 following extensive upgrades, including 78 new robots, 475 automated guided vehicles, a fully automated battery‑marriage system and more than 360,000 hours of workforce training.
- The nearby AESC plant is supplying battery packs from a reported 12 GWh gigafactory, aligning vehicle output with local cell production under Nissan’s EV36Zero strategy.
- Early output includes about 200 test vehicles, with roughly 100 cars targeted in December and at least 1,000 by February as a staged ramp continues into 2026.
- Nissan published UK specifications with 52 kWh and 75 kWh battery options offering claimed WLTP ranges up to 271 miles and 386 miles, plus 150 kW rapid charging that can add around 273 miles in 30 minutes.
- UK pricing starts at about £32,249 and the model qualifies for the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant, with ministers hailing the investment that supports the plant’s roughly 6,000 jobs and the wider supply chain.