Coronavirus 2020: Nissan suspends production at Sunderland plant
Facility becomes third factory in UK to close temporarily due to coronavirus outbreak
Nissan has suspended production at its factory in Sunderland due to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
Around 7000 workers are employed at the facility, which currently produces the Leaf, Qashqai and new Juke models. It is the third car factory faced with temporary closure in the UK, with the PSA Group announcing yesterday that it would close all its facilities, including Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port and Luton plans.
In a statement, Nissan said: “Vehicle production has been suspended today [Tuesday] in Nissan Sunderland Plant. Further measures are currently under study as we assess supply chain disruption and the sudden drop in market demand caused by the Covid-19 emergency.”
Major manufacturers including Ford, Volkswagen, PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have all announced widespread shutdowns of factories across continental Europe in recent days, as the spread of Covid-19 on the Continent continues to accelerate.
Not all of those decisions currently affect UK plants; Ford’s continental Europe shutdown does not include its two engine plants in the UK, while Bentley’s Crewe facility continues with “stable production”.
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