Story perspectives

Nissan Invests £170M to Build Kicks e-POWER in Sunderland

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 2:52 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Nissan Motor will invest £170 million to build the Kicks e-POWER hybrid at its Sunderland plant.
UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds called the decision a huge vote of confidence in UK manufacturing.
The Kicks will use Nissan’s third-generation e-POWER hybrid system, launched in 2025.
Nissan expects the model to support thousands of skilled jobs and boost the local supply chain.

History

Historical Context

Toyota’s launch of the world’s first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid, the Prius, on 10 December 1997, sparked a global shift toward electrified powertrains. European demand surged, with the United Kingdom accounting for about one-fifth of early sales and the Prius family reaching nearly 4 million units worldwide by January 2017; the trend has spurred recent UK investment in hybrid production, underscoring the country’s growing EV hub status.

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Story summary

Nissan Motor will invest £170 million to build the Kicks e-POWER hybrid at its Sunderland plant.
UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds called the decision a huge vote of confidence in UK manufacturing.
The Kicks will use Nissan’s third-generation e-POWER hybrid system, launched in 2025.
Nissan expects the model to support thousands of skilled jobs and boost the local supply chain.

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