Nissan is planning to manufacture electric versions of the Juke and Qashqai at its UK factory in Sunderland.

The decision, expected to be announced on Friday, comes after lengthy discussions with the government and is seen as a move to protect jobs at the facility, where approximately 6000 employees currently produce the petrol models of the two crossovers as well as the electric Leaf.

Sky News reported that the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have been involved in the talks, and Nissan’s commitment is dependent on substantial government funding. Industry sources expect Nissan’s investment in the project to be over £1 billion.

The company is also constructing the EV360 battery factory at the site, with the potential to produce up to 35GWh of batteries annually – a substantial portion of the UK’s expected demand by 2030.

Nissan has recently announced its intention to only launch electric cars in Europe and to discontinue the sale of combustion engine vehicles in the region by 2030. However, it has not specified the timeline for introducing electric versions of the Qashqai and Juke, which have been on the market in their current forms for four and two years, respectively.

The Qashqai, which has been on sale since 2007, was the top-selling car in the UK in 2022, with nearly 43,000 units sold, constituting a fifth of all cars manufactured in the UK.

These reports come shortly after UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a £2 billion support package for zero-emission investments in the automotive industry, as part of a broader £4.5 billion initiative for strategic manufacturing sectors by 2030.

Hunt emphasized that the funding would attract private sector investment and contribute to job creation and economic growth.

The £2 billion for zero-emission investments in the automotive industry has been positively received by Nissan and Toyota.