Nissan and the Japan Automatic Transmission Company (JATCO) have secured a £50m investment deal, in partnership with the UK government, to create a new manufacturing plant in Sunderland.
The new plant will be JATCO’s first in Europe, with production initially focused on the 3-in-1 electric powertrains, which modularises and integrates the motor, inverter and reducer, making them smaller and lighter. The 138,840 sq. ft facility represents a £48.7m investment into the UK and will create up to 183 highly skilled jobs.
Located at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park, Sunderland, the factory will produce the electrified powertrains for the nearby Nissan plant. JATCO says it is starting to fit out the manufacturing unit, which will include office space to house its new business division, JATCO UK.
The plant scheduled to be completed in 2026 and aims to reach a production capacity of 340,000 units.
JATCO’s CEO, Tomoyoshi Sato, said: “We have enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership with Nissan, and we are delighted to bring the manufacture of our 3-in-1 powertrain to the UK. This will be our fourth country for an overseas production plant, with other locations in Mexico, China, and Thailand.
“I am very grateful for the support of the UK Government, Sunderland City Council, and all others involved in the establishment of JATCO UK, and look forward to supporting Nissan’s EV36Zero project with these electric powertrains.”
The investment in this plant has been enabled by the UK Government’s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) a program that supports the development of an electric vehicle (EV) supply chain in the UK. This has been accessed through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) and aims to unlock private investment in UK automotive design, development, and manufacturing as the sector transitions to zero emission technology.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “…not only will this boost our thriving auto industry, but it will help secure hundreds of jobs across the North East.
Alan Johnson, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Purchasing for Nissan AMIEO, said: “This is a fantastic step forward for our world-first EV36Zero plan.
“Welcoming a key supplier to the North East of England provides a big boost to the efficiency of our supply chain. We look forward to continuing our long and successful partnership as we push towards our electric future.”
Nissan’s EV36Zero project is built on three new all electric vehicles, Qashqai and JUKE crossovers, and the replacement LEAF, produced at the Sunderland plant, powered by a microgrid, which will incorporate the wind and solar farms at the plant and will have the capacity to deliver 100% renewable electricity to the carmaker and its neighbouring suppliers.
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