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Nissan Leaf Flies Off UK Production Line

"The first all-electric car to be built in the UK has rolled off the production line.

The manufacturing of Nissan's Leaf, which until today had been built solely in Japan, was shifted to Sunderland after the Japanese firm chose its UK plant for a £420m investment.

The car, which has had 100 upgrades to its design since it took to the roads two years ago, has shifted just over 50,000 models worldwide to date.

Critics suggest that is because motorists are yet to be convinced by the all-electric concept, previously identifying poor ranges, bad handling because of heavy batteries and thin tyres with recharging rates too slow.

Nissan has argued that its improvements address many concerns.

The five-seater hatchback, which goes on sale this summer, can travel about 125 miles on a single charge - powered by lithium-ion batteries which are also being made in the North East.

Nissan's Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said: "Today's announcement progresses Nissan's unwavering commitment to zero emissions motoring.

"The Nissan Leaf is our most technically advanced car yet and the launch of this new model, built along with its batteries in Sunderland, is a huge boost not only for the plant but for British manufacturing.

Prime Minister David Cameron attended the launch and was given a tour of the plant.

He was also shown a Leaf that was cut in half, to see how it works inside, and got the chance to stick a Nissan badge onto the front of one of the cars fresh off the production line.

He said: "I warmly welcome the production of the new electric LEAF model and battery plant at Sunderland.

"This £420m investment, backed by Government, is supporting over 2,000 jobs in our automotive sector including more than 500 at Nissan in Sunderland, helping people in the area who want to work hard and get on.

"The Government has committed £400m to make the UK a leading market for ultra low carbon vehicles.

"Nissan's announcement shows the confidence the company has in the skills-base and the business environment in the UK and that the UK is open for business."

Em: http://news.sky.com/story/1071031/nissa ... ction-line

2013 Nissan Leaf enters production

[IMG]http://static.autoexpress.co.uk/sites/a ... af-1_1.jpg[/IMG]

"Production of the revised Nissan Leaf has begun at the firm's plant in Sunderland, as part of a £420m investment

Production of the 2013 Nissan Leaf has begun at the manufacturer's factory in Sunderland.

Nissan says the new Leaf production and the associated battery factory, also at Sunderland, supports more than 2,000 jobs in the UK, including 500 jobs directly at Nissan.



Nissan vice president Andy Palmer said: "The Nissan Leaf is our more technically advanced car yet and the launch of this new model, built along with its batteries in Sunderland, is a huge boost not only for the plant, but for British manufacturing."

The updated electric car has more than 100 changes over the current Leaf, including a boost in the car's range from 109 miles to 124 and the ability to recharge in half the time compared with the first-generation model.

It promises to be more fun to drive, too, thanks to an updated chassis and improvements to the car's steering.

Leaf price and specs

For the first time, the Leaf will come in three trim levels – Visia, Acenta and Tekna grades. Entry-level Leaf Visia models sit on 16-inch steel wheels and come with black mirror caps and halogen headlights. It costs £23,490.

Acenta versions cost around the same as the current car and come with 16-inch alloys and tinted rear windows. Top-spec Tekna get LED headlights, and upgraded stereo, bigger wheels and new Around View Monitor.

The revised Leaf has a bigger boot, too. The charging unit has been moved, which frees up an extra 40 litres of load space."

Em: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/nissan/lea ... production

Nissan Leaf production starts at Sunderland plant

"Published on Thursday 28 March 2013 09:34

WEARSIDE’S electric revolution is switched on today.

Sunderland’s Nissan plant is officially starting production of the new 100 per cent electric Leaf.

The new model, incorporating more than 100 updates, is a double landmark for the factory, with the cars using advanced lithium-ion batteries manufactured in the company’s new UK battery plant next to the factory.

Today’s launch comes three years after the firm confirmed the Sunderland plant had won the race to build the revolutionary car for the European market.

Together, the battery plant and Leaf production are supporting jobs for more than 2,000 people in the UK car industry, including more than 500 directly at Nissan.

Nissan’s executive vice-president Andy Palmer was the man who first announced Leaf was coming to Sunderland – and he was at the plant this morning to celebrate the start of production.

He said: “Today’s announcement progresses Nissan’s unwavering commitment to zero-emissions motoring.

“The Nissan Leaf is our most technically advanced car yet, and the launch of this new model, built along with its batteries in Sunderland, is a huge boost not only for the plant but for British manufacturing.

“We have been showing that you can operate a world-beating plant in the UK for almost 30 years, and the construction of the battery plant is a vote of confidence in the country’s ability to support high-technology manufacturing.

“We could not have reached this point without the support and commitment we have enjoyed from governments across Europe, especially the British Government, who are backing the car industry on manufacturing and charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

“I would also like to once again place on record our thanks to our many partners and their strong belief in zero-emissions motoring.”

Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to the Wearside workforce who are making Leaf a reality. He said: “Nissan’s record-breaking year last year is a success story for UK volume car manufacturing and demonstrates how our automotive industry is competing and thriving in the global race. I warmly welcome the production of the new electric LEAF model and battery plant at Sunderland.”

Em: http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/busi ... -1-5536596