EV manufacturing transformation
Nissan retools Sunderland for next-generation Leaf
Nissan has launched production of the third-generation Leaf at its Sunderland plant. New EV platforms, reconfigured factory processes and the EV36Zero framework are shaping how the site scales electric vehicle manufacturing and industrial flexibility.
Nissan has started the mass production of the third generation of the Leaf at its Sunderland plant in the UK. The site has been part of the manufacturer's European production network for 35 years and has been gradually converted for electromobility in recent years. Adam Pennick, Vice President Manufacturing in the UK, explained that the transition to full electric vehicle production was associated with significant organisational and technological demands.
The transformation required close collaboration across all departments. The English specialists spent a large part of their time in Japan to deepen the coordination between development and production. All departments have established corresponding counterparts to transfer manufacturing and product decisions into industrial implementation at an early stage.
New platform as a production system
The technological basis of the new Leaf generation is the "CMF-EV platform". The Common Modular Family for electric vehicles is designed as a scalable production system and is intended to enable the manufacture of different models on a common basis. For Nissan, this architecture is a central element to combine model variety, degree of automation, and cost efficiency in vehicle production.
The platform affects all manufacturing areas and extends from the press shop through body and paint shop to final assembly. This makes the production line more standardised and at the same time more flexible for future model launches.
Adaptation of factory processes and assembly
The transition to the new architecture required extensive changes in the existing factory processes. Dominic Wells, production manager at the Sunderland plant, emphasises that new processes have been introduced, particularly in body construction and painting. A key step was the integration of the battery into the vehicle structure. Wells explains that a new process was installed for the marriage of battery and body, which was associated with high investments and longer lead times. Sunderland is the first Nissan plant worldwide to apply this process in series. The adjustments aimed to scale the production of future electric models more efficiently.
It's been absolutely fantasting to the market. It's a great product. It allows us here within the plant to demonstrate our capability.
EV36Zero: Energy and automation
The production start of the new Leaf is embedded in the "EV36Zero" concept. This combines vehicle manufacturing, battery assembly, and energy supply into an integrated production system. According to the company, around 20 per cent of the plant's energy needs are covered by wind turbines and photovoltaics directly on site. Directly opposite the plant is a new battery gigafactory, which is designed as part of the local value chain.
Andy Marsh, vice president of production engineering, quality assurance, and manufacturing strategy & planning for Europe and Africa, emphasises that the new Leaf is the future of the location. Decades of manufacturing and engineering experience flow into automated processes, quality assurance, and the stable ramp-up of the series. Like other manufacturers and suppliers, Nissan is continuously exploring new forms of automation and human-robot collaboration to further develop production systems.
