TOKYO, May 24 - JATCO, the transmission and powertrain unit under Nissan Motor, has abandoned a scheme to produce electric vehicle powertrains at a plant in Sunderland, Britain, citing subdued demand for Nissan's EVs across Europe.
In January 2025, JATCO unveiled plans to spend 48.7 million pounds to equip the Sunderland site to assemble up to 340,000 integrated EV powertrains annually. Those powertrains were designed to combine the motor, inverter and reducer into a single unit for installation in Nissan vehicles produced at the plant.
Later in the same year, Nissan announced a major restructuring of its manufacturing footprint after experiencing weakening sales in the United States and China. The automaker said it would trim its global auto production plants to 10 from 17 and initiate a review of its powertrain factories, a process that has now coincided with JATCO's decision to drop the Sunderland project.
Requests for immediate comment were not fulfilled outside normal business hours. Nissan was not available to respond when contacted, and an inquiry submitted through JATCO's website had not received a reply at the time of reporting.
The planned investment was quantified at 48.7 million pounds, equivalent to approximately $65.39 million using the exchange rate cited in the company's announcements. The stated capacity for the Sunderland facility under the shelved plan was up to 340,000 integrated units per year.
This development reflects an adjustment in production strategy by a major automaker and its supplier as market demand patterns for battery-electric vehicles evolve regionally. The decision affects manufacturing plans specific to the Sunderland site and the intended output of integrated motor-inverter-reducer powertrains that had been allocated to that plant.
Data points from the announcement
- Planned investment: 48.7 million pounds (about $65.39 million).
- Planned annual capacity: up to 340,000 integrated EV powertrains.
- Nissan's production plant count: reduction to 10 from 17 and an ongoing review of powertrain factories.
- Exchange rate referenced: $1 = 0.7448 pounds.