The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) has welcomed the news that Nissan’s new electric Qashqai will be built at its Sunderland plant, further supporting the recently announced UK 10-point climate plan and making strides towards net zero by 2050.
The third-generation of the pioneering crossover will go on sale next year and the Qashqai, which came out in 2006, has been named the plant’s most successful car.
Built with an electric motor to power the wheels and a petrol engine to charge the vehicle’s battery, this is another key indicator that an acceleration towards vehicle electrification is prominent, following the Government’s announcement that it was set to ban petrol and diesel cars by 2030.
The NEAA, which has previously stated that innovation and technology will drive the region forward through the current COVID-19 pandemic, earlier this year launched EV North, to support advances in new technology, particularly in powertrain electrification.
Paul Butler, CEO of the North East Automotive Alliance, said: “It’s fantastic to see the first deployment in Europe of Nissan’s new innovative e-POWER drive system as part of the new, third generation Qashqai, which is set to be unveiled early next year.
“Nissan’s focus on innovation, continues to deliver intelligent mobility solutions, such as the all-electric Nissan Leaf, which recently celebrated a decade and driver experience such as ProPILOT.
“The new Qashqai e-POWER hybrid drive system continues that journey. It comprises of a high-output battery and the powertrain which is integrated with a petrol engine, power generator, inverter and a motor, resulting in a full electric motor drive.
“It is fantastic to see the region is leading on e-power technology and this further supports the recent announcement on the UK’s 10-point climate plan which includes a ban on new petrol and diesel car sales by 2030, 10 years earlier than planned.”