Nissan halted development of an all-electric version of its Qashqai at its Sunderland plant last year, according to a Reuters report cited by The Guardian, abandoning a commitment the company made in 2023 that the UK government had held up as proof of Britain's standing as an EV manufacturing hub.
The Qashqai is Nissan's top-selling model in Europe, accounting for roughly 45% of its 330,000 European sales in 2025, making the cancellation a significant strategic retreat rather than a peripheral programme cut.
The shelved project sits within a broader restructuring that has already closed seven factories globally and eliminated 20,000 jobs, with Nissan targeting a reduction of approximately one fifth of its model lineup.
Sunderland's position is increasingly precarious: the company closed one of its two production lines at the site last month, citing weak demand, and is now in talks with the UK government over financial support to secure the plant's future.
One option under discussion is contract manufacturing for other carmakers; Nissan signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with China's Chery earlier this month to explore that possibility.
Nissan said it remained committed to electrification, pointing to the all-electric Leaf already built at Sunderland and an electric Juke announced in April, while citing "significant volatility" in European EV demand as justification for a "balanced" strategy.
Even if the Qashqai EV programme were revived, Reuters reported it would not reach market until the early 2030s.
[THIN SOURCES, editor review]
