Nissan boss pledges to meet original 2030 electric vehicle target despite Government U turn

Nissan boss Makoto Uchida has snubbed the Government’s revised deadline for the ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars and has pledged the motor giant - who recently invested £1bn into the production of electric vehicles in Sunderland - will to stick to the original 2030 deadline.

Last week the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the policy, which was part of the Government’s pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, was being pushed back five years to 2035.

However, speaking at Nissan Europe’s design studio in Paddington, London, president and CEO Makoto Uchida confirmed the company would not be delaying its electric vehicle transition to the new later date.

He said: “There’s no going back – the world needs to move on from ICEs (Internal Combustion Engines).

“From this point onwards, every single Nissan model launched in Europe will be fully electric. In 2030, Nissan will be here and ready for electric vehicles - it’s the right thing to do.”

During his speech, Mr Uchida highlighted the role of the Nissan Sunderland plant, which has seen massive investment to upgrade its battery gigafactory, as a symbol of the company's commitment to electric vehicles.

The Sunderland plant currently produces three electric vehicles - the Qashqai e-POWER, Juke Hybrid and Nissan Leaf - and the company has urged other car manufacturers to follow suit.

Mr Uchida added: “As battery technology evolves, we are working to achieve price parity with ICEs because when it comes to the planet we have a responsibility to be a part of the solution, and as part of an ecosystem involving renewables, grid integration and battery storage.

“Electric vehicles are the ultimate solution for future mobility and we need everyone onboard. 

“We are not the only manufacturer who will be ready in 2030, but if we all work together we will solve the current challenges and make way for a sustainable future.”

The Prime Minister said the decision to move the date back to 2035 was "pragmatic and proportionate" in the current economic climate and would prevent imposing "unacceptable costs" on people.

He added: “Moving too fast on green policies risks losing the consent of the British people.”