Nissan Sunderland has produced its quarter-of-a-millionth electric car

Nissan’s UK car factory in Sunderland has reached another milestone, officially producing its 250,000th electric car.

A quarter-of-a-million Leaf EVs have come off the assembly line at the plant in the North East, which is also the production home for Qashqai and Juke SUVs.

To celebrate the landmark, the Japanese brand is using the 250,000th electric vehicle as a sole power supply for its Christmas decorations at the entrance of the North East production site, with a Leaf rigged up to tree lights to power them.

The Nissan Leaf has been built in Sunderland for almost a decade across two generations of vehicle.  

Like many of the latest electric cars on the market, the current Leaf has vehicle-to-grid – or V2X – technology, meaning it can become a mobile power supply for household products.

Demonstrating the capabilities of this potential is the 250,000th Leaf built in Britain, which is powering the 32-foot Christmas tree and its shimmering reindeer.

The Leaf has vehicle-to-grid – or V2X – technology, meaning it can become a mobile power supply for household products

Demonstrating the capabilities of this potential is the 250,000th Leaf built in Britain, which is powering the 32-foot Christmas tree and its shimmering reindeer

Nissan began building the Leaf EV at the Sunderland plant in 2013. The model produced there today is the second-generation car

The V2X system allows drivers to use electricity stored in their vehicle’s battery to power a variety of appliances, including a fridge-freezer, laptops and kettles, if required.

Using a three-pin plug converter that slots into the charging socket, drivers can boost the battery of a range of devices and white goods if necessary. 

Why the price of many electric cars built and sold in the UK will RISE by 10% from 2024

BloombergNEF estimated that electric SUVs will be cheaper to produce than petrol and diesel equivalents by 2026, while battery superminis will be less expensive from the following year 

Many electric vehicles made and sold in the UK and Europe are set to become more expensive from 2024, which will delay price parity with petrol and diesel cars, it has emerged.

Manufacturers of battery-only vehicles have warned that they will be forced to hike prices by 10 per cent or more in just over 12 months’ time due to the introduction of trade tariffs.

It comes after Brussels said it has no intention of extending an exemption agreed in the Brexit trade deal that is due to expire at the end of next year.

The technology also allows electric vehicles to be fully integrated into the electricity grid, meaning excess energy can be supplied back to the network at peak times.

Alan Johnson, Vice President Manufacturing at Nissan Sunderland Plant, said: ‘Passing a quarter of a million Nissan Leaf is a tremendous milestone, and demonstrates the electric vehicle manufacturing expertise we have built up at our plant over the past decade.

‘This year we have completely electrified the plant’s line-up with the new versions of Qashqai and Juke launched, so lighting up the Christmas tree with our original EV is a spectacular and appropriate way to end 2022.’

In 2021, Nissan’s Sunderland plant was announced as the home of EV36ZERO, a £1billion flagship electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy and battery production. 

Construction of a battery gigafactory next door to the car production plant – in partnership with Envision AESC – started this month.

The battery-making facility will employ more than 1,000 people when it becomes fully operational, which will likely be around 2025.