The First Electric Nissan JUKE: Will it be Made in Britain?

Nissan has announced its first EV model of its highly popular JUKE. The model will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the UK where it manufactures EVs like the Nissan LEAF. 

The release comes at a time when Nissan is revamping its strategy under its Re:Nissan programme, announced after heavy operating losses in 2024 and aims to cut 20,000 jobs and close seven factories.

Nissan is reportedly in talks with China’s Chery on car manufacturing in Sunderland, according to the Financial Times.

The EV JUKE

Exact specifications for the car are yet to be confirmed by the Japanese carmaker. According to Auto Express, the JUKE EV will be built on the similar specs as the Nissan LEAF, coming with a choice of standard and long-range batteries. 

Nissan's Europe Divisional Vice President of Nissan Europe & Africa, Jordi Vila, told Auto Express at the JUKE’s unveiling in Yokohama, Japan: “The JUKE is not only disruptive from a style standpoint, but it’s also very interesting, very fun to drive.”

The Leaf’s three-in-one power unit, which also combines the motor, inverter and gearbox, will also be used, but likely detuned from the C-segment crossover’s 174 bhp and 215 bhp power outputs.

The JUKE EV will be launched in spring 2027.

Nissan in Europe

The company has sold more than 1.5 million JUKE models in Europe since its release in 2010 and this new launch is the first time the model will be sold as an EV. 

The release suggests that EVs are central to Nissan European strategy, where the EV market share continues to rise. The BEV market share in Europe reached 17.4% in 2025, up from 13.6% in the previous year, according to statistics published by ACEA. 

Massimiliano Messina, Chairman, Nissan AMIEO, says: "Europe is central to Nissan's electrification strategy, and we remain firmly committed to a fully electric future.”

"With a rapidly expanding EV line-up, we are bringing greater choice and innovation to every segment, powered by our strong design, engineering and manufacturing footprint in the region. Together, this next generation of vehicles will accelerate our transition to zero-emission mobility."

China and Britain

The news that Nissan will make its Nissan JUKE EV in Sunderland comes as The Japan Automatic Transmission Company (JATCO)’s £50m (US$67.8m) factory in Sunderland will not provide the EV parts it was created to build, according to BBC News. 

JATCO is 75% owned by Nissan, 15%  by Mitsubishi and 10% by Suzuki. The site was set to produce 3-in-1 electric vehicle powertrains for Nissan Sunderland Plant.

A Nissan spokesperson, cited by the BBC, said the change had been made as part of its ongoing global recovery plan, RE:Nissan, launched after Nissan posted an operating loss of JP¥215.9bn (US$1.36bn) in 2024.

Announcing the RE:Nissan plan in 2025, Nissan CEO, Ivan Espinosa said: "In the face of challenging FY24 performance and rising variable costs, compounded by an uncertain environment, we must prioritise self-improvement with greater urgency and speed, aiming for profitability that relies less on volume.”

According to the Financial Times, Nissan held talks with the Chinese state owned Chery on building cars in Sunderland in order to boost the utilisation rate of its factory, which is reportedly operating at roughly 50%.