Nissan To Shut One Of Two Production Plant In The UK

Nissan will close one of two production lines at its plant in Sunderland (UK) as part of a cost-cutting program that will see the Japanese company cut a total of 900 jobs in Europe.

Sunderland produces the new electric Leaf, Juke and Qashqai, and they will all now be built on the same line. Nissan has confirmed that no factory jobs will be lost as a result of the move, but some jobs in the UK could be part of the 900 jobs to be cut across Europe.

According to Autocar, the closure of the line marks a drop in production at Nissan’s only European factory. The factory produced 273,174 cars last year, compared to a record of over half a million.

Nissan said in a statement that it was taking steps “to create a more resilient business that quickly adapts to changes in the market”. The measures under consideration include the partial closure of the parts warehouse in Barcelona.

Nissan hopes to attract another carmaker to take over the front line at Sunderland in the future, with Chinese manufacturers Chery and Dongfeng linked with the effort. A successful sale of the first line would save jobs and increase production in the company, according to Nissan.

The closure of the line is expected to take place in the second half of the year, with the second line moving to three shifts to compensate for the loss of capacity.

The support of the UK government has also helped ensure the production of the new electric model of the Juke, which should start at the end of the year.

Nissan has been hit hard by increased competition in Europe, especially from the Chinese. Its UK market share fell to 3.7% in the first four months of 2026, down from 5.6% in 2016.

Nissan is cutting costs worldwide, including closing seven plants, as part of CEO Ivan Espinosa’s recovery plans. Globally, the company has been hit by increased competition in all markets, including China, as well as an increase in import tariffs on exports to the US.

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