Nissan ponders building cars for Chinese rivals at Sunderland plant

CEO admits talks with Chery as other European carmakers discuss plans with Chinese firms to share factory space Nissan’s chief executive has confirmed he would consider building cars for other manufacturers at the UK’s largest car factory in Sunderland, amid talks with China’s Chery. Ivan Espinosa said Nissan was “looking at options” for Sunderland and its 6,000 workers as the struggling Japanese carmaker on Wednesday reported steep losses for the year to March. Nissan announced last week it was closing one of its two production lines at Sunderland, in north-east England, because of faltering demand for its vehicles. However, it has held talks to produce vehicles on behalf of Chery, according to industry sources. Chery is pushing aggressively into the UK and Europe with its Chery, Jaecoo and Omoda brands. Asked about the Chery talks on Sunderland, Espinosa said: “The plant is operating well, is a viable plant. The problem that we have at this location is the volume. So if we can find a smart way of bringing more volume in, we might consider doing something.” Espinosa added that there was “nothing specific about any partner to announce today, or any options, but this is something th