Nissan ploughs £170m into Sunderland plant as new Kicks hybrid

Nissan is investing £170 million in its Sunderland manufacturing plant and will build the next-generation Kicks there for the European market, according to multiple reports. The move secures around 6,000 jobs at the site and marks a significant commitment to UK car production.

The new Kicks will be powered by Nissan's e-Power system, which is a series hybrid setup rather than a fully electric drivetrain. In a series hybrid, a petrol engine acts as a generator to produce electricity, which then drives an electric motor that turns the wheels. The car never runs on petrol power directly, so the driving experience feels closer to an electric vehicle than a conventional petrol car, but there is no need to plug in or rely on charging infrastructure.

That distinction matters for drivers who are considering a move away from pure petrol or diesel but are not yet ready for a full electric vehicle. A series hybrid like this removes range anxiety because the petrol engine keeps the battery topped up, while still delivering the smooth, quiet pull that EV drivers tend to prefer. Running costs and real-world fuel economy figures have not yet been published, but series hybrid systems have generally shown strong efficiency in stop-start urban driving.

Sunderland already produces the Nissan Leaf, which is a fully electric model, so the factory is experienced in building electrified vehicles. Adding the Kicks to that line-up, alongside two further new electric models reported to be in the pipeline, suggests the plant is being positioned as a centre for electrified vehicles of different types rather than a single-technology site. For the wider UK automotive industry, a £170 million commitment and the protection of thousands of skilled manufacturing jobs will be seen as a meaningful vote of confidence at a time when carmakers across Europe are reassessing where and what they build.