Nissan wants to go all-electric across the UK by 2030

The Nissan boss said the world must “move on” as he confirmed plans to build electric cars in the UK.

Just days after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak postponed the ban on new petrol and diesel engines from 2030 to 2035, Makoto Uchida said: “There is no turning back.” The world must say goodbye to internal combustion engines. “We have a responsibility to be part of the solution.”

And the 57-year-old said Nissan will be fully electric by 2030 – with the Sunderland plant playing a central role in green transition plans, despite Sunak’s delay.

Nissan boss Makoto Uchida

The announcement undermines claims that the Prime Minister’s decision last week to delay the ban on new petrol and diesel cars for five years would hit vital investment in the UK.

Nissan employs more than 7,000 people in the UK, including 6,000 at its Sunderland factory, where the company builds the Qashqai and Juke SUVs and the all-electric Leaf.

The company also has a battery factory, a design center in London and a development center in Cranfield in Bedfordshire. They would all play a key role in the development of the next generation of electric cars, said Uchida.

Speaking at an event to celebrate the design centre’s 20th anniversary, he said: “Here in the UK we will be designing and engineering the electric vehicle of the future.” “It will be built in Sunderland.”

Commenting on Sunak’s decision, Uchida said: “From this point on, every single new Nissan that comes out in Europe will be electric. “It’s the right thing to do.”

Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover welcomed the ban’s delay as “pragmatic”, but Ford warned it could impact investment.