Nissan and Chery International UK, part of Chinese manufacturer Chery, have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for “the study of contract manufacturing” for Nissan to manufacture Chery International UK passenger vehicles at its Sunderland Plant.

“Under the terms of the non-binding MoU the Sunderland facility would remain fully owned by Nissan, with the team at the plant employed by Nissan,” said Nissan.

“The MoU includes the possibility that Nissan would aim to begin manufacturing Chery International UK passenger vehicles on the plant’s production Line One in financial year 2027.

“In May Nissan announced that it would consolidate its manufacturing operations onto production Line Two to investigate opportunities to secure better plant utilisation.”

Massimiliano Messina, Chairperson Nissan AMIEO, said: “This is an important step forward for our operations.
“We are looking forward to working with Chery International UK in the coming months to finalise a position that is optimal for both companies.”

The MoU is non-binding, and discussions are ongoing between the two companies, with no further details to be made public at this stage.

Nissan employs around 7,000 people across the UK including at its design centre in Paddington, London, and its R&D engineering centre in Cranfield, while Sunderland is home to the UK’s biggest single car plant, which builds two of the nation’s best-selling cars – the Juke and Qashqai.