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Nissan supplier to create almost 200 jobs with new £50m EV factory

By:

Transport Reporter

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Nissan is grappling with huge losses as it struggles with a downturn in demand and ferocious competition in the Chinese market.
Nissan is grappling with huge losses as it struggles with a downturn in demand and ferocious competition in the Chinese market.

A major supplier of Nissan has invested nearly £50m to open a new factory in Sunderland, creating 183 high-skilled jobs for the local region.

Jatco, a Japanese firm which makes gearboxes for global automakers, will build electrified powertrains for Nissan’s nearby gigafactory.

Situated in Sunderland’s International Advanced Manufacturing Park, the 138,840 sq ft plant is set to be completed in 2026, with help from a UK government grant.

Jatco’s investment comes after Nissan pledged to pump £2bn into its own electric vehicle (EV) facility in late 2023, where it is building three fully-electric models as part of a plan known as EV36Zero.

“Today’s announcement is a massive vote of confidence in the UK economy and this government’s plans to make Britain the destination of choice for investment,” Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said.


“Not only will this boost our thriving auto industry, but it will help secure hundreds of jobs across the North East.


“The government is working hand in hand with investors to build a globally competitive electric vehicle supply chain in the UK and our modern Industrial Strategy will build on this legacy.”

Jatco chief executive Tomoyoshi Sato said he was “proud” to officially open Jatco UK in the North East of England.

“We have enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership with Nissan and we are delighted to bring the manufacture of our 3-in-1 powertrain to the UK.”

Established in 1970, Jatco supplies more than 129m automatic transmission systems to the global automotive market. It is aiming for a production capacity of around 340,000 units from the Sunderland facility.

Alan Johnson, Nissan’s senior vice president for manufacturing and the supply chain, said the investment would be a “fantastic” step forward for the carmaker’s EVe6Zero plan.

“Welcoming a key supplier to the North East of England provides a big boost to the efficiency of our supply chain.

“We look forward to continuing our long and successful partnership as we push towards our electric future.”