Nissan To Make
Electric Vehicle In Britain
Nissan
Motor Company says it will manufacture its electric vehicle, the
Leaf, in England from early 2013.
Nissan, Japan's third-largest automaker said it will make about
fifty thousand Leaf cars per year at its plant in Sunderland, in
northern England, as it gears up for global sales of the zero
emission car.
It said it will invest four hundred and eighty-six point two
million Euros in the plant, which will also make batteries for
electric vehicles.
Nissan is banking on electric vehicles to spur growth as it has
fallen behind bigger rivals Toyota Motor Corp, the world's
largest automaker and Honda Motor Company in gas-electric
hybrids that have become popular in Japan and abroad.
Apart from the British plant, Nissan said it will make the Leaf
in Japan later this year and the United States in 2012.
Nissan in a statement said that the three production sites will
support the sales launch of the model, which begins in late 2010
in Japan, the United States and selected European markets, ahead
of global mass marketing from 2012.
It said the Leaf has a range of one hundred and sixty kilometres
on a single battery charge.
Nissan said battery production at the Sunderland plant will
begin in 2012 with annual capacity of 60,000 units but
did not announce a price tag for the Leaf.
AP/Williams/Yinka
