The crossover pioneer Nissan QASHQAI is the brand’s first model in Europe to be available with the innovative Nissan e-POWER engine. Its B-segment little brother, the Nissan JUKE, is now offered with a sophisticated hybrid engine.

These new engines are launched as combined production of these two iconic crossovers has already passed five million units in Sunderland. With these vehicles built alongside the Nissan LEAF, all models built by Nissan in the UK will now have an electrified version.

Alan Johnson, Vice President of Manufacturing for Nissan in the UK, said: “With more than five million customers, QASHQAI Y juke they are two of the most successful and popular models ever produced in our factory. e-POWER and hybrid technologies are new to the Sunderland team, so it’s a great satisfaction to see electrified versions of these models rolling off our two production lines. »

Production of these two electrified models is part of Nissan’s recently announced £500m (more than €570m) plant investment to produce current generations of QASHQAI and JUKE. The new facility includes a £10m (over €11m) state-of-the-art battery assembly line, where batteries for e-POWER and hybrid propulsion systems are manufactured.

Preparing the factory team to build such sophisticated cars required a significant training effort. Since production of the LEAF began in 2011, Sunderland staff have completed more than two million hours of training dedicated to electric vehicle manufacturing, with more planned in the coming months and years.

Alan Johnson added: “Our factory benefits from 36 years of manufacturing experience and excellence through our state-of-the-art facilities and people. These two million hours of training in electrification alone show that we are taking it to the next level as we pave the way to an electrified future. This will allow us to continue to deliver the remarkable, technologically advanced automobiles with high quality standards that our customers have come to love. »

The start of production of these two electrified models comes after Nissan announced that the Sunderland plant will soon house EV36Zero, a complete ecosystem that will produce electric vehicles, batteries and renewable energy in one place. A unique structure that requires an investment of one billion pounds sterling (1.1 billion euros).

the QASHQAI and JUKE are designed and built by Nissan at its UK facilities, supporting more than 7,000 jobs in Paddington, Maple Cross, Cranfield, Lutterworth and Sunderland, as well as a further 30,000 in the wider UK supply chain. UK and over 5,000 in the UK dealer network. .