Nissan has decided that it will house battery production in the United Kingdom. It does so in response to Brexit.
Nissan’s battery production is currently still in Japan. The batteries supplied in the Leaf are shipped from the Asian country to the British factory in Sunderland where they are placed in the car. That has to change because of Brexit. The agreements between the United Kingdom and the European Union stipulate that cars must consist for a substantial part of parts from the United Kingdom or the European Union, because otherwise high import tax will be levied when shipped to the EU.
In that case, the Nissan Leaf will hit the light, so battery production is brought to the UK. That explains Ashwani Gupta, COO of Nisssan, to the BBC. It concerns the production of the battery pack with a capacity of 62 kWh. By putting it together in the UK, Gupta says all cars built in Sunderland meet the requirements to be exported at the usual rate. Gupta cannot yet say where exactly and when that production will be set up and how many jobs are involved. In any case, it is very good news for the British and for the Sunderland factory.