Nissan studies electric-car manufacture in UK
Published Tuesday, 24th March 2009
The regional development agency One North East is working with Nissan with an eye toward developing a zero-emissions transport programme for the UK.
Under an agreement signed in the presence of Business Secretary Lord Mandelson last week, the two organisations will embark upon a four-month development programme that includes a feasibility study for the manufacture of electric cars in northeast England. Nissan’s Sunderland plant will be under consideration as a “strong contender” for electric vehicle production.
The programme will also explore incentive schemes and educational efforts for electric vehicles.
“Today’s signing with One North East will advance the deployment of EVs worldwide and promotes the North East as a region ready and willing to embrace zero emission mobility,” said Andy Palmer, Nissan Senior Vice President responsible for Nissan’s global EV strategy.
“We have the political will, academic research, great engineering industry, but most importantly we are willing to invest in the infrastructure that enables companies to develop their vehicles to a scale that is not available anywhere else,” added Margaret Fay, chairman of One North East.
Nissan expects to launch its first zero-emission electric vehicles in Japan and the US next year before mass marketing them globally starting in 2012.
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I know it’s currently more pie in the sky than Mr. Kipling’s A380 but, between manufacture and existing ‘leccy generation supply, I will be keen to see how these cars work out as ‘zero emissions’ transport.