- Nissan and Chery have confirmed talks about European production.
- Sunderland plant could start making Chery vehicles as early as 2027.
- Nissan has excess production capacity, while Chery sales are booming.
After months of rumors, we’re finally seeing Chinese automakers announce deals for European production. Stellantis and Dongfeng got the ball rolling last month, while Nissan and Chery have now confirmed high-level discussions.
Details are limited, but Nissan said they’ve signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Chery that will study contract manufacturing at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the United Kingdom. The Japanese automaker went on to note the facility would remain under their ownership and production of Chery vehicles would be handled by Nissan employees.
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While the two automakers are simply exploring the idea, the Sunderland plant is underutilized by Nissan and the company recently announced plans to consolidate production on Line Two. This freed up Line One, which is what would be used for Chery production.
If discussions are fruitful, Chery production could begin as early as the 2027 financial year. There’s no word on what would be built on the British assembly line, but Nissan suggested it would be a passenger vehicle designed for the UK market.
In a brief statement, Nissan’s Massimiliano Messina said “We are looking forward to working with Chery International UK in the coming months to finalize a position that is optimal for both companies.” He added, “This is an important step forward for our operations.”
While only time will tell what happens, the Chinese firm offers multiple brands in the United Kingdom including Chery, Jaecoo, and Omoda. In April, these three brands racked up a combined 10,052 sales, which is far more than the 4,079 vehicles sold by Nissan.
