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British Plant To Build Nissan Leaf Electric Car

Posted on: Friday, 19 March 2010, 06:55 CDT

Nissan Motor said on Thursday that it would start building its Leaf electric car at its British plant starting in early 2013, which would save over 2,000 jobs.

The Japanese car marker will be the third earmarked to produce the zero-emission cars after plants in Oppama, Japan and Tennessee.

The company said that an investment of over $642 million would help maintain about 2,250 jobs at Nissan and across its British supply chain.

The company will initially produce about 50,000 vehicles a year from early 2013.  The Leaf is expected to go on sale this year in Japan and 2012 in the U.S.

"The three production sites will support the sales launch of the model, which begins in late 2010 in Japan, the United States and selected European markets, ahead of global mass marketing from 2012," the company said.

Nissan said that the construction of its lithium-ion battery at its Sunderland, England plant would begin next month.  It expects to make about 60,000 units a year, and will start making them for both Nissan and its alliance partner Renault in 2012.

According to the auto-company, the investment will be backed by a $31 million grant from the British government and a proposed finance package from the European Investment Bank of $299 million.

Senior vice president of Nissan Motor Andy Palmer said "The world is at the dawn of a new era in automotive transport."

"Nissan Leaf, which will go on sale later this year, is a five-seater hatchback that offers the same space, practicality and performance of a similar car in its class -- minus the tailpipe emissions."

Zero-emission cars are becoming increasingly more popular as concerns for the damage petrol cars cause on the environment grow.

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On the Net:

• Nissan Leaf

Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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