Nissan LEAF production rolls out in the United Kingdom

Nissan‘s Sunderland factory in England has started production of its all-electric car, the Nissan Leaf, last week, marking the first time that the cars are produced in Europe. The car manufacturer has invested almost $640 million in the 30-year-old plant, as well as for the construction of a battery plant, for the production of the car’s lithium-ion batteries.
British Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the investment and considers it a major boost for the country’s automotive industry. His government has spent around $610 million to make the UK a “leading market for ultra low-carbon vehicles,” and he believes Nissan’s move is a reflection of the growing confidence in the UK as a good business environment for companies like theirs.
The five-door environment friendly hatchback has sold 50,000 units worldwide but until recently, has mostly been produced in its plant in Oppama. Late last year, Nissan announced that they were going to produce the car’s complicated “eMotor” in their Smyrna plant in Tennessee for the first time. Together with the production in Sunderland, the new version of the car now has more than 100 updates and a longer range of 124 miles.
Domestically in the UK, a locally produced Nissan LEAF will cost $36,000, subtracting already the $7,620 government subsidy. This is a $3,800 mark down from the previous Japan-manufactured models. The sales of the LEAF in 2012 were less than satisfactory, falling short of the targeted 40,000 units sold. This has prompted the company to drop the prices and offer a more “economic” version of the car.

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