Chery Vehicles To Be Manufactured In Nissan’s British Plant

Nissan has reached an agreement with China’s Chery to manufacture Chery passenger vehicles at its Sunderland plant in the UK, the companies said on Wednesday.

Nissan will continue to fully own the Sunderland facility, according to Reuters.

The Japanese carmaker employs around 6,000 workers at the Sunderland plant, which has been a cornerstone of its British presence since the 1980s.

According to their non-binding agreement, Nissan aims to begin production of Chery’s passenger vehicles in fiscal 2027.

The partnership comes amid efforts by Chinese automakers to set up production operations in Europe to avoid import tariffs and improve supply chains.

Chery has been looking to expand car production in Europe through partnerships with other manufacturers to take advantage of its existing factories, senior executives at the Chinese automaker said.

Chery operates in Europe through the namesake brand and the brands Jaecoo, Jetour and Omoda. It accounted for 2% of total registrations in Europe between January and April.

Meanwhile, Nissan aims to consolidate its manufacturing operations in Sunderland as it explores ways to ensure better plant utilization, it said in a statement.

• Also See: Nissan To Shut One Of Two Production Plants In The UK