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Nissan suspends ?156 million Portuguese investment in lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles

Nissan spokesman António Pereira-Joaquim explained that the Renault-Nissan alliance “has decided to suspend the electric battery factory in Portugal because after a detailed analysis of the business plan, it came to the conclusion that the four existing factories spread across the globe would be sufficient to meet the company’s objectives.”

Former Prime Minister José Sócrates had laid the first stone at the factory earlier this year, revealing that Nissan would be investing €156 million in the national economy and create around two hundred jobs. The Portuguese factory was expected to produce 50,000 lithium ion batteries a year for electric cars.

The decision to suspend the Portuguese factory, which would have commenced operations at the beginning of next year was also based on forecasts that Nissan would be able to supply 1.5 million electric cars with lithium ion batteries by 2016 using its four factories in Sunderland, Japan, the United States and France.

Portugal was the first country in Europe to establish a direct electric car partnership with the Renault-Nissan Alliance in November 2008, signing an agreement to build a widespread recharging network in Portugal and to promote the benefits of zero-emission mobility.