Nissan Gives North East Economy a Jolt
With 2000 jobs at risk at Corus’s Redcar steel plant, the North East of England really needed some good news. And today they’ve got it, with Nissan’s announcement that they plan to manufacture electric car batteries at their Wearside factory – expected to generate some 350 new jobs.
The government and the people of the north east will be hoping this cements Britain’s long term position as a hybrid car manufacturing base. The Lithium-ion batteries will power a new generation of Nissan cars, and it is hoped that the news will clear the way for full-scale production of these new models in Sunderland. There has been stiff competition from other plants across Europe.
It is thought that many more jobs will be created in related industries. Lord Mandelson visited the plant with the Prime Minister, and said the north east would be established as a “low carbon economic area”.
The news comes soon after Toyota announced it was to build its new Auris Hybrid petrol-electric car at Burnaston in Derbyshire. These two news items are likely to give a little hope – considering manufacturing is often the first to go in a recession.
Nissan has ear marked 200 million pounds for the battery making plans, to be spread out over 5 years.
