[NEWS] Nissan to close UK line and cut 900 European jobs

    Nissan to close UK line and cut 900 European jobs
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    Nissan is planning to merge two of its production lines at its
    Sunderland plant

    Car manufacturer Nissan has announced it will stop using one of
    its UK production lines and will be cutting 900 jobs in Europe.

    The company confirmed it would be merging two of the lines
    producing the Leaf, Juke and Qashqai models at its Sunderland
    plant, but said no jobs would be lost through the change.

    However, the Japanese-owned car maker said it was in talks to
    cut about 10% of its European workforce, which included plans
    to close part of its warehouse in Barcelona and import cars to
    Nordic countries.

    A Nissan spokesperson said the changes were being made under
    its RE:Nissan recovery plan and were designed to create a
    "leaner, more resilient business that adapts quickly to market
    changes".

    The company said it had started discussions with its European
    employees with a view to simplifying structures and "ensuring we
    operate in a sustainable and profitable way".

    A spokesperson said: "We have also announced that we will
    consolidate production from two lines to one at our Sunderland
    plant as we assess future opportunities to secure full plant
    utilisation."


    Talks with Chery
    Nissan said no jobs would be lost because of the line merger but
    confirmed the 900 being cut across Europe included a small number
    of UK-based office roles.

    Consolidation of work on a single production line leaves the
    second available for another manufacturer to come in and build
    their own cars, helping to absorb surplus capacity at the factory.

    Although the Sunderland site is used to build three models, it
    currently operates well below its potential and has been holding
    talks with other firms.

    It is understood to have spoken to several companies including
    Chinese giant Chery, owner of the Jaecoo and Omoda brands.

    The firm has been present in the UK since late 2024, and its sales
    in the country have grown rapidly.

    It is already preparing to assemble cars at a former Nissan plant
    in Barcelona.

    Chery was unavailable for comment but its UK head, Victor Zhang,
    previously told the BBC it was evaluating whether to set up a
    manufacturing base in the UK.


    <https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdep9g8dp36o>