Deputy Prime Minister Visits Nissan Sunderland Plant
Sunderland, UK, March 14, 2014: Nissan staff today welcomed the UK's Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, to the company's production plant in Sunderland.
The Deputy Prime Minister was given a tour of the award-winning plant, currently undergoing a large extension to accommodate the introduction of the Infiniti Q30 compact premium car next year. The extension is part of a £250 million investment by Nissan, supported with a £9.2 million grant from the UK Government through the Regional Growth Fund.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan's Vice President for Manufacturing in the UK, said: "We were very pleased to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister for the first time to our Sunderland Plant.
"Preparations for Infiniti production are progressing well and we are grateful for the Government's support in securing this new premium vehicle for the UK."
As well as a visit to the production line to see the Nissan Qashqai and the all-electric LEAF in production, the Deputy Prime Minister was also shown Nissan's new electric van, known as the e-NV200 as well as the Infiniti EMERG-E prototype, the brand's first range-extended, mid-engine electric sports car.
When the Infiniti Q30 launches next year in Sunderland it will be the first time that a new car brand is starting manufacturing in the UK on this scale for 23 years.
Mr Clegg ended his visit with a Q&A session with Nissan staff in the Gateshead College Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation (SASMI), which is also home to Nissan's only Global Training Centre outside Japan.
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About Nissan in the UK
One in three cars built in the UK is a Nissan, which has been Britain's biggest car producer since 1998. More then £3.5bn has been invested in Nissan's world-renowned Sunderland Plant, which started production in 1986 and now exports 80% of production to more than 130 markets.
Other UK operations include Nissan's European Design Centre in Paddington, London, Nissan's Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, and Nissan's UK Sales and Marketing headquarters in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. Through these sites and in UK suppliers and dealerships, Nissan currently supports more than 40,000 UK automotive jobs.
About Infiniti
Infiniti Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in approximately 50 countries. The Infiniti brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan and the United States. Production in China and Europe will start soon along with the expansion of the brand's portfolio.
As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Infiniti has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the Formula One team, and Sebastian Vettel, its four-time World Champion driver, serves as Infiniti's Director of Performance.
More information about Infiniti, its Total Ownership Experience® and its industry leading technologies can be found at http://www.infiniti.com/. For the latest news on Infiniti in Formula One, visit http://www.infiniti-gp.com/, www.youtube.com/InfinitiGP or follow on Twitter @InfinitiGP