LONDON: Workers at Britain’s biggest car plant in Sunderland are preparing to start production of an all-new third generation version of Nissan’s pioneering LEAF electric vehicle, with first cars rolling off the production line later this year.
In addition, the 6,000-strong team will build upgraded versions of the Qashqai – one of the UK’s best-selling cars – thanks to new e-Power technology that enhances refinement and efficiency.
And the next generation Juke – available for the first time as an EV – will arrive in FY26.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Nissan will also launch an all-new fully electric Micra in 2025, designed by the team at Nissan Design Europe, based in Paddington, London.
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Micra returns as EV
First to launch in 2025 will be the all-new Micra, which was designed at Nissan Design Europe in London, using AmpR Small platform shared with Renault’s R5.
It will be available with two battery options: 40 and 52kWh, providing a maximum range of over 399km.
Sales of the new Micra will begin before the end of the year. It will be built at Ampere ElectriCity plant in Douai, France
Third-generation LEAF EV to follow
The second new vehicle to be launched in Europe in 2025 also represents the return of a historic nameplate, LEAF.
The third generation LEAF will attract buyers thanks to its eye-catching aerodynamic shape.
It has been developed on Nissan’s CMF-EV platform, architecture it shares with its larger sibling, the Ariya.
The European version of the new LEAF will be manufactured at Nissan’s production facility in Sunderland, in the north-east of England.
It forms part of Nissan’s EV36Zero project– a blueprint that will transform Sunderland Plant into a flagship EV hub, bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production.
Updated e-Power offers more refinement and efficiency
Following the Japanese principle of Kaizen – continuous improvement – the changes to the e-Power hybrid powertrain system on Qashqai will deliver improvements to its emissions, efficiency and refinement, bringing the driving experience even closer to that of a full EV.
Nearly 250,000 e-Power equipped vehicles have been sold in Europe since its introduction.
Third-generation Juke enters as pure EV in FY26
Beyond 2025, Nissan’s engineers continue to develop the third generation of its Juke compact crossover, which is scheduled for launch in FY2026 as an EV, based on the Hyper Punk concept car which was presented in October 2023 at the Japan Mobility Show.
