Nissan will build the next-generation Qashqai and Juke in the UK, both of which will come outfitted with battery-electric powertrains when they hit the market later this decade.
It is understood that Nissan has been provided with significant financial support from the British government to convince it to build the two electric SUVs at its pre-existing Sunderland factory. Financial details have not yet been announced but in 2021, Nissan committed $1.3 billion alongside Chinese battery producer Envision AESC to upgrade the site into an EV factory.
The Sunderland site currently employs 6,000 people and its future had long been in question after the British people voted in favor of leaving the European Union back in 2016. British Chancellor Jeremy Hunt recently confirmed that the government would invest £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion) into British manufacturing from 2025.
Read: Nissan’s Hyper Punk Concept To Inspire Next-Gen Juke EV
Nissan’s recent Hyper Urban and Hyper Punk concepts showcase the angular styling language that will appear on its next-gen crossovers
“Britain is now the eighth-largest manufacturer in the world, recently overtaking France,” Hunt recently told Sky News. “To build on this success, we are targeting funding to support the sectors where the UK is or could be world-leading. Our £4.5bn of funding will leverage many times that from the private sector, and in turn will grow our economy, creating more skilled, higher-paid jobs in new industries that will be built to last.”
It is understood that both Hunt and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have been involved in recent discussions with Nissan. The car manufacturer has not yet confirmed how many examples of the electric Qashqai and Juke it plans to build at the site.
A recent report revealed that the future all-electric Nissan Juke will slot before the next-generation Leaf which is set to morph into a crossover. It will be positioned as a rival to the likes of the electric Hyundai Kona, Kia EV3, and Jeep Avenger and have a design inspired by the wild Nissan Hyper Punk Concept.
