SUNDERLAND (England): Nissan Motor Co. said Friday that it will manufacture electric versions of its Qashqai and Juke SUVs at its Sunderland plant in northern England.

This means that all three models manufactured in Britain by the Japanese automaker will be electric vehicles, including the Leaf, which is already made at the Sunderland factory.

Nissan’s accelerated shift to EVs comes as the company now aims for all of the vehicles it sells in Europe to be electric by 2030.

At an event, Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida said that EVs are a central part of the company’s goal of achieving carbon neutral.

The automaker also said it plans to invest up to 3 billion pounds, including the 1 billion pounds that has already been announced, in the Sunderland facility and a new battery factory.

The Sunderland factory, which has about 6,000 employees, is the biggest car manufacturing facility in Britain.

In a statement, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed Nissan’s investment, saying it is “a massive vote of confidence” in his country’s automotive industry.

JIJI Press