Nissan, Chery to explore building cars at Sunderland plant

Nissan and Chinese automaker Chery have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to explore the production of Chery vehicles at Nissan's Sunderland plant in the United Kingdom, potentially beginning in the 2027 financial year. The agreement could safeguard thousands of jobs at Britain's largest car factory and mark a significant milestone for China's automotive industry in Europe.

Under the proposed arrangement, Nissan would continue to own and operate the Sunderland facility, with its employees manufacturing Chery passenger vehicles on one of the plant's production lines. The move follows Nissan's announcement in May that it would consolidate its own manufacturing operations at the site onto a single line to improve plant utilization. This consolidation did not involve job losses at Sunderland, though Nissan recently cut approximately 900 positions across Europe.

Nissan employs around 6,000 people at the Sunderland plant, which opened in 1986 and produced over 273,000 vehicles last year, including the Qashqai and Juke models. The factory has been running below capacity, prompting the search for a manufacturing partner. Massimiliano Messina, who heads Nissan's operations...