Overview
- Nissan, which on Tuesday opened talks with staff across Europe, will fold two production lines into one at its Sunderland plant and is proposing to cut about 10% of regional roles.
- The company said roles at Sunderland will not be lost as a result of the consolidation, with the Qashqai, Juke, and new all‑electric Leaf set to run on the single line.
- The consultation also covers a partial closure of Nissan’s Barcelona parts warehouse and a move to an importer model for sales in Nordic markets.
- Freed capacity at Sunderland could be used by a partner to boost plant use, with reports linking Chinese maker Chery, though Nissan has not announced any agreement.
- Sunderland employs about 6,000 people and was retooled with roughly £450 million to launch the next‑generation Leaf in December, as output slipped to about 273,000 cars last year from more than 300,000 the year before.