Nissan's Sunderland plant goes 24-hours

Nissan’s Sunderland factory – the UK's largest car producer and exporter – is preparing itself for the official launch of its first ever night shift, taking effect from 8:45pm on Sunday June 29, as the Japanese car manufacturer attempts to satisfy European clamour for the Qashqai SUV Crossover.

800 new manufacturing-based positions have been created to support the new capacity, demanded by the European sales response to the award-winning Qashqai SUV Crossover model range, which leads the line at the Wearside installation, ahead of the Nissan Note, Micra and Micra C+C.

In excess of 200,000 Qashqais have been sold since March 2007, a demand that’s set a unprecedented doubling of production forecasts expected for this financial year.

The third shift will help Nissan’s skilled North-East workforce brace themselves for the imminent production of the Qashqai +2, a seven-seat variant on the existing Qashqai due have its covers whipped off at next month's British International Motor Show, prior to assembly go-ahead that commences in August, with European sales penciled in to start in September.

Every new Nissan production line employee has completed one week’s worth of intense induction that has seen them receive extensive basic skills instruction, plant familiarisation and thorough health and safety training.

All these new starters will cut their Nissan manufacturing teeth on the Qashqai construction line, which at current full stretch puts out 4,500 vehicles every week. Once this third shift is running at optimum production volume, it’s anticipated that output figure will rise to the 6,100 unit mark.