Nissan maps out deal to build cars for China’s Chery at its Sunderland plant

Key points

• Nissan has agreed to look at building cars in northern England for Chinese manufacturer Chery, in a move that would secure jobs at the UK’s largest car factory and begin mass-market Chinese car production in Britain for the first time.
• The Japanese carmaker said on Wednesday it had signed a non-binding agreement and that discussions were ongoing over contract manufacturing by Nissan for Chery, which is part-owned by the Chinese state.
• If the deal goes ahead, Nissan would aim to begin manufacturing cars for Chery International UK at Sunderland’s production line 1 in the 2027 financial year.
• Chery has poured cars into the UK in recent months under its Chery, Omoda and Jaecoo brands.
• The Jaecoo 7, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) built in China, became the top-selling model in the UK in March.