[By Guancha Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

According to reports by the Financial Times (FT) and The Guardian on the 15th, at the FT Automotive Future Summit held in London on Thursday, Ivan Espinosa, the newly appointed CEO of Nissan, one of Japan's big three automakers, confirmed that Nissan's Sunderland plant was not on the list of seven plants planned for closure to cut costs.

He also revealed that Nissan was willing to share the capacity of this plant with its Chinese partners. Automotive News USA analyzed that this move indicated that during the business reorganization process, Nissan was signaling openness to sharing its global production network with its Chinese joint venture partners.

UK media reported that as part of its transformation plan, Nissan has announced that it will strengthen cooperation with its Chinese partner, Dongfeng Motor, after more than 20 years of partnership, exporting vehicles jointly developed in China.

At the summit, Espinosa, who took over the position of CEO in April, stated that Nissan was open to producing cars for its Chinese partners at the Sunderland plant. He said, "Everything is possible."

Espinosa also confirmed that after the failed merger talks with Honda, options for finding strategic partners included a Chinese group.

"We can collaborate on some projects outside of China, inviting them to join our production ecosystem," he added, "Everything remains open."

As reported by The Guardian, the Sunderland plant employs 6,000 people and is Nissan's only factory in Europe, as well as the largest automotive plant in the UK. However, the Sunderland plant has been operating below full capacity for many years. In 2024, its car production was only 282,000 units, down 14% year-on-year, far below the upper limit of 600,000 units.

The Guardian reported that producing cars for other companies would not only improve the profitability of the Sunderland plant but also create more job opportunities. The renowned British technology website Tech Digest also pointed out that Nissan was exploring the possibility of deepening cooperation with Dongfeng Motor to enhance the plant's profitability and expand production.

Video screenshot of Espinosa's interview with Bloomberg.

However, websites like Tech Digest claimed that the potential for Chinese state-owned enterprises to produce cars in the UK may trigger public controversy. Meanwhile, Nissan is seeking support from the UK government, including subsidies and reduced energy costs, to enhance the competitiveness of the factory.

Espinosa stated that Nissan was committed to the future development of the Sunderland plant but urged the UK government to make the country a more suitable place for automobile production; otherwise, the factory would still face further closure risks.

"If you import cars into the UK from China, as a local manufacturer in the UK, you will have no competitive advantage," Espinosa said. "Factors such as energy costs make our competitiveness in the UK market less than other regions, so we need government support to maintain our competitiveness in the UK and promote the continued development of our factory."

According to Tech Digest, Nissan recently invested £1.12 billion in the Sunderland plant to support the production of two new electric models. Additionally, its battery supplier, Envision AESC, received £1 billion in government funding last week to build a new battery plant in Sunderland.

As introduced by The Guardian, AESC is a global battery supplier headquartered in Japan and currently wholly owned by a Chinese enterprise. Its factory in the UK is the only operational "gigafactory" in the country.

In an interview with the authoritative American automotive magazine Motor Trend, regarding the selection of potential partners, Espinosa revealed more information.

He stated that Nissan was considering many partners, including all traditional or non-traditional original equipment manufacturers, as well as technology companies from China. "Our attitude is very open, and we are currently considering multiple options," he said.

Espinosa mentioned that Nissan and Dongfeng had just launched two new models together, "which shows how we can fully utilize our operations in China. We will continue to invest in products in China because the technology, speed, and cost competitiveness there are excellent."

On May 13th, Nissan released its latest financial report. The report showed that by March 31, 2025, in the 2024 fiscal year, Nissan transitioned from profit to comprehensive loss.

During this fiscal year, Nissan's global vehicle sales were 3.346 million units, a decrease of nearly 3%; the consolidated net sales of the company were 12.6 trillion yen (approximately 612.61 billion RMB), a decrease of 0.4%; the operating profit was 69.8 billion yen (approximately 3.39 billion RMB), with the operating profit margin declining to 0.6%; the company's net loss was 670.9 billion yen (approximately 32.62 billion RMB).

Espinosa frankly admitted that Nissan had reached a critical moment where income did not cover expenses. To address this, Nissan will introduce a new adjustment plan in the new fiscal year, which will be divided into three key measures: first, reducing costs to achieve break-even; second, redefining product and market strategies to clarify priorities; third, strengthening partnerships.

In terms of market strategy, Nissan plans to optimize existing suppliers and focus on more competitive ones. Espinosa stated that they would consider incorporating Chinese suppliers into Nissan's manufacturing ecosystem outside of China and share this experience with other suppliers to improve performance.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7504884682597630483/

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