Nissan says that due to slowing demand, looming taxes and bans, it will gradually stop selling diesel cars in Europe. This will mean hundreds of lost jobs at the company’s Sunderland plant. Autocar.co.uk photo.
Nissan electrification push to also shift buyers from diesel
Nissan says it plans to gradually stop selling diesel cars in Europe as demand on diesel cars is dropping due to customers’ concerns about rising taxes, possible bans and potential restrictions being placed on diesel cars in many countries.
A Reuters source sail last month that the move will result in the loss of hundreds of jobs at the company’s Sunderland plant, Britain’s largest automotive factory. The plant that employs about 6,700 people produces the Juke, Qashqai, Leaf and X-Trail as well as the Infiniti Q30 and QX30.
About one-quarter of vehicles produced at the Sunderland plant are diesel.
The news comes as the auto industry and its suppliers are dealing with governments worldwide cracking down on diesel emissions. Companies like Nissan are shifting out of diesel into electric vehicles.
In 2015, dieselgate rocked Volkswagen. The emissions cheating scandal cost the German automaker about $30 billion in fines and other expenses.
March data showed a 37 per cent decline in demand for diesel cars in Britain, Europe’s second-largest autos market.
Dropping diesel sales for Jaguar Land Rover led the company to cut 1,000 contracted agency workers at its Solihull.
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