Nissan confirmed it will build all-electric future versions of its Juke and Qashqai SUVs alongside the next-gen Leaf at its plant in Sunderland, UK, and said the new EVs will be inspired by its "Hyper" series of concepts recently unveiled at Japan Mobility Show.
The Japanese automaker announced it is investing a total of up to 3 billion pounds ($3.75 billion) in the production of the three EVs, the construction of three battery gigafactories with partner Envision AESC—one more than initially planned—and related infrastructure at its plant in Sunderland, UK.
When finalized, Nissan's EV36Zero hub in Sunderland will produce three electric vehicles and battery cells for them at three gigafactories.
Of the total investment, up to 1.12 billion pounds ($1.41 billion) will be allocated for R&D and manufacturing of the electric Juke and Qashqai announced today. The sum includes facility and manufacturing process improvements, skills training, and tooling for suppliers.
This will be in addition to the 423 million pound ($531 million) investment in the first phase of EV36Zero for the first future EV, the successor to the Leaf entry-level EV. The new model will enter production in Sunderland in 2026.
Gallery: Nissan Hyper Urban concept (2024)
Interestingly, Nissan said the newly confirmed future EVs to be built in Sunderland will take inspiration from its recently unveiled concept cars.
The Nissan Hyper Urban Concept will influence the design of the future Qashqai EV, while the Hyper Punk Concept will shape the Juke EV. It was already known that the Chill-Out Concept from 2021 would provide inspiration for the next Leaf.
The automaker said it will offer more information about the three upcoming EVs, including names, specifications and launch dates, at a later time.
"Exciting, electric vehicles are at the heart of our plans to achieve carbon neutrality. With electric versions of our core European models on the way, we are accelerating towards a new era for Nissan, for industry and for our customers," said Nissan President and CEO, Makoto Uchida.
"The EV36Zero project puts our Sunderland plant, Britain's biggest ever car factory, at the heart of our future vision. It means our UK team will be designing, engineering and manufacturing the vehicles of the future, driving us towards an all-electric future for Nissan in Europe."
Gallery: Nissan Hyper Punk Concept
Nissan said the electricity needed to power the production of EVs and batteries in Sunderland will be supplied by the EV36Zero Microgrid, which produces 100% renewable electricity from the company's wind and solar farms—including a brand-new 20MW solar farm.
Nissan previously confirmed that all its new cars in Europe from now will be fully electric. By 2030, the automaker expects its passenger car lineup in Europe to become 100% electric.
