While the original Nissan LEAF was built solely in Japan, New LEAF is being built in three locations: Japan, North America and Europe.
Production of New LEAF for Europe started in March at Nissan's record-breaking plant in Sunderland in the UK. It is built on Line 1 alongside the hugely successful Qashqai and Qashqai +2 models. The plant also builds Juke and Note on its Line 2.
The Qashqai is unique in the vehicle market. Unlike most models where sales decrease further into the vehicle's lifecycle, Qashqai has become more popular every year it has been on sale, with 310,929 manufactured last year at Sunderland. With the line working three shifts around the clock, the considerable changes needed to integrate LEAF had to take place at weekends and over holiday periods: stopping the line to make the changes was never an option.
New dies have been created for the Press Shop for to make new body panels and panels for the battery tray.
New robots have been installed in the Body Shop to support the build of the body-in-white. New paint facilities have also been installed to handle LEAF's Pearl White option - the colour is also available on the new Juke Nismo.
The specific requirements of LEAF's electric motor, charger and inverter package has meant a clean room has been established in the centre of the plant's original final assembly area, where the power train is assembled in near clinical conditions.
Once completed, the electric powertrain is sealed and then it is ready to power a car for many years to come, with a fraction of the maintenance required by an ICE vehicle. The LEAF drivetrain is inserted into the car in the same manner as conventional engines are placed into Qashqai, by being lifted from underneath by the same equipment used for the combustion engines.
A new ‘battery-stuff' station was established on the line to insert the battery pack under the car. This special machine inserts the pack and simultaneously tightens the bolts to secure it to the vehicle and is situated next to the machine that fits Qashqai fuel tanks.
Special facilities have also been created for insertion of the instrument panel into the car, which has to be rotated once through the front door to position it correctly, unlike the Qashqai dashboard.
It's not just the car that's built at Sunderland, but the batteries too. A new facility has been built on the Sunderland site where more than 200 employees will create battery packs for the LEAF and forthcoming e-NV200 electric van, which will be made in Barcelona. The highly sophisticated battery plant is quite unlike any other area of the factory, with workers donning protective fabric suits, anti-static shoes and taking an air shower before starting work in some areas.