Nissan will produce Chery models at its Sunderland plant
- For several years, the Japanese carmaker Nissan has been seeking to increase the utilization rate of its Sunderland plant in the UK – now the carmaker's only European-owned factory – whose production volume has fallen sharply since 2017, primarily due to the drop in sales of its flagship model, the Nissan Qashqai SUV. The plant, which produces the Nissan Juke , Leaf , and Qashqai, is projected to produce only 282,248 units in 2024 and 273,322 in 2025, compared to 510,572 in 2012 and 501,756 in 2013.
- Nissan, which is also experiencing serious financial difficulties following the fall in its sales in the United States and especially in China and which had to give its independence back to its compatriot Mitsubishi, was counting on its Chinese partner Dongfeng to saturate its Sunderland factory, but it is ultimately Chery that will help Nissan achieve this objective.
- Nissan and Chery have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) allowing Nissan to produce Chery passenger vehicles at its Sunderland plant starting in 2027. Under the MOU, the Sunderland plant would remain wholly owned by Nissan and its staff employed by Nissan, but the Japanese automaker would produce Chery models there in addition to its own Juke , Leaf , and Qashqai models. The Chery models produced at the Sunderland site could be Jaecoo or Omoda SUVs, which are in high demand in the UK, as the Jaecoo 7 is currently among the top three best-selling vehicles in the country (see graph below). Chery has a strong incentive to produce these models in Europe to avoid the tariffs applied to vehicles imported from China.