Nissan to axe hundreds of UK jobs
On Monday, the Japanese manufacturer announced plans to cut around 250 jobs – roughly 4pc of its 6,000-strong workforce at the plant in the North of England – through a voluntary redundancy scheme.
Office staff and shop floor supervisors at the Sunderland facility will be affected by the cull, while manufacturing workers will be unaffected, the group said.
Nissan's Sunderland facility was first opened in 1986 to supply cars including the iconic Nissan Bluebird to markets in the UK and Europe.
The factory is currently the largest car factory in Britain and Nissan's only factory in Europe. The car factory in Sunderland is also the city's largest employer.
The cuts come as Nissan seeks to cut ¥400bn (£2bn) of costs after its profits slumped amid slower-than-expected uptake of EVs in Europe.
Nissan has invested heavily in its push to become a leading manufacturer of EVs in a bid to ditch petrol and diesel car production by 2030.
The plans saw it commit £2bn worth of investments for upgrades to its Sunderland facility in 2023 to prepare for the switch to EVs.
25-year low
The lay-offs come as slow uptake of EVs hits Nissan's profitability.
Slumping sales in China and pricing pressures in the US have also hurt Nissan's income, while soaring energy prices and labour costs have further eroded profits.
The slowdown saw Nissan report an 88pc drop in its profits for the full year 2025, in what marked its worst set of financial results in 25 years.
In response, the company outlined a far-reaching turnaround plan that is expected to see it lay off 20,000 of its 133,500 global employees.
A Nissan spokesman said: 'This week we are beginning discussions with some of our team in Sunderland about the opportunity to voluntarily leave Nissan, with support from the company.'
'This will support the plant's efficiency as we aim to become a leaner, more resilient business,' the spokesman said.
Nissan is now expected to start producing its fully electric Leaf model out of its Sunderland facility this year, with a view to launching an electric version of its Juke car in 2026.
The spokesman said: 'Our Sunderland plant remains at the forefront of our electrification strategy.'
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