Nissan to build UK electric car battery factory

The plant, with around 350 new jobs, will supply Nissan's European electric car production facility. The Sunderland plant is also said to be in the running to be the factory to produce the cars.

The announcement underlines Nissan's commitment to electric cars, which will be further confirmed early next month when the company unveils its first dedicated electric car, although this will not go on general sale in Europe until 2011.

This car, as yet unnamed, will be a five-door hatchback in the Ford Focus class that will be uniquely styled to suit its electric powertrain and won't be available with petrol or diesel engines. It will have a range of 100 miles, accelerate to 62mph in around 12 seconds and have a top speed of 87mph.

Recharging will take seven to eight hours from a domestic supply, but it can be 70% recharged in 30 minutes from the fast-charge stations that Nissan is hoping to see established at motorway service stations and in shopping centres. Although the 100-mile range appears limited compared to the 300 mile-plus range of conventional cars, research has indicated that more than 80% of Europeans travel less than 62 miles a day. All Nissan's electric models will also be fitted with a navigation system indicating the location of the nearest charging point and whether it is free.

Nissan believes that an electric car will be 10-20 per cent cheaper to run over the life of the car compared to a model with an internal combustion engine, thanks to government subsidies and the low cost of recharging the batteries.

The company anticipates that owners will lease the batteries as an item separate from the car itself, so that they can exchange them for a fully charged set at a 'Quick Drop' battery exchange centre. The car will be engineered to allow this rapid change-over and will enable owners to upgrade to the latest battery as its range improves.

The company anticipates that 10 per cent of its European new car sales will be electrically powered by 2015.