Prime Minister Boris Johnson has led local and national politicians in welcoming Nissan's commitment to its Sunderland plant after the Brexit trade deal agreed with the EU.
Nissan's chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta said the Brexit deal had given their Sunderland plant a competitive advantage and that he believed the last-minute agreement would “redefine” the 海角视频’s auto industry.
There are hopes that jobs will now be created at the Envision battery factory in Sunderland after Nissan said it had asked it to produce a powerful battery for high-end models of its Leaf electric vehicle.
The commitment to Sunderland - which comes after a number of senior Nissan figures had warned that a no-deal Brexit could leave the plant unsustainable - has been welcomed locally and nationally.
Mr Johnson tweeted: “This is a great vote of confidence in the 海角视频 and fantastic news for the brilliant @Nissan workforce in Sunderland and electric vehicle manufacturing in this country.”
And Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Nissan’s decision represents a genuine belief in Britain and a huge vote of confidence in our economy thanks to the vital certainty that our trade deal with the EU has given the auto sector.
“For the dedicated and highly-skilled workforce in Sunderland, it means the city will be home to Nissan’s latest models for years to come and positions the company to capitalise on the wealth of benefits that will flow from electric vehicle production as part of our green industrial revolution.”
Mr Gupta's words were also welcomed by Sunderland Council leader Graeme Miller.
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He said: "This is another vote of confidence in the city’s world-leading automotive sector and for both Nissan and Envision AESC. It helps cement the city’s well-established track record in future technologies, which is vital to the city’s economy as well as to the wider economy of the region and 海角视频.
"We know how important electrification is to the automotive and advanced manufacturing sector moving forward and this announcement not only reinforces Sunderland’s reputation in Electric Vehicle production but also as the 海角视频 centre for battery manufacturing.
"It is vital as we grow our green economy, work towards our goals to become carbon neutral as a city, and support achievement of the Government’s net zero targets. This is excellent news and a great step as we continue to move forward on this critical agenda."
Mike Hawes, chief executive of automotive body SMMT, said “The news that the 海角视频 will be home to additional battery production in the North East is hugely positive and an essential step in the transformation of the automotive sector to electric motoring. It is an investment that is a direct consequence of the 海角视频 agreeing a deal with the EU and providing a much needed boost to the sector and region.
"The Road to Zero will require a rapid acceleration in the take up of these new technologies and massive investment in infrastructure and local capability. We have the scale – as a market and as a production location - to warrant the necessary investment but our attractiveness depends on maintaining these advantages and consistently enhancing our competitiveness.
"We need to build on this announcement, and implement a strategy which safeguards automotive manufacturing and delivers a rapid transition to the benefit of all of society.”
* Part of Nissan’s Sunderland plant will be closed until the start of next week after the pandemic led to problems with its supply chain.
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The company is closing its Production Line One, which makes the Qashqai and the Leaf, from this morning but hopes to have it re-opened on Monday.
It is not the first automotive company to have supply issues in recent days, with Audi, Renault, Honda and Volkswagen also having to close factories due to shortage of key parts.
A Nissan spokesman said: “Production on Line One at the plant has been paused due to supply chain disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. We anticipate that production will resume on Monday next week.”
Nissan had to close down the Sunderland plant entirely at the start of the pandemic to avoid spreading coronavirus.
The plant re-opened in June when social distancing measures were put in place, though it has had a small number of outbreaks at the plant since then.
A number of major car manufacturers have had to shut their plants in recent weeks, mainly due to a shortage of semi-conductors.
The chips, which are vital for many of the electrical systems in most modern cars, are also used in mobile phones and computers which have seen a surge in demand as more people around the world work from home during the pandemic.