Overview
- Nissan has begun building the new LEAF at its Sunderland plant after a conversion worth more than £450 million, a move supporting about 6,000 jobs and marking the first new high‑volume electric car produced in the UK since 2020.
- The Department for Business and Trade launched a £50 million Electric Vehicle Cluster Fund for the North East to help suppliers shift to EV components and protect or create local jobs.
- North East mayor Kim McGuinness committed £22 million for more than 1,000 public charge points and plans to double the region’s electric bus fleet in the coming months.
- The new LEAF qualifies for the £3,750 Electric Car Grant, with first deliveries slated from February 2026; it is being marketed with up to roughly 375–386 miles of range and a starting price reported around £32,249.
- Battery supply will come from AESC’s newly opened 12 GWh gigafactory next to the plant, bolstering the region’s EV manufacturing ecosystem and supply resilience.