MEP WANTS FUTURE FOR FUEL EFFICIENT CARS IN THE NORTH EAST

12.00.00am GMT Fri 12th Feb 2010

A North East MEP is calling on Nissan to build its electrically-powered LEAF hatchback model, due for sale in Europe from 2011, at its UK plant in Sunderland.

Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall, who is today (12/2) attending an exclusive presentation of the Nissan LEAF in Brussels, said:

"The batteries for Nissan's innovative LEAF model are already set to be produced in Sunderland and with Newcastle leading the way in installing a charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in the region, there is an excellent case for the actual car to be built in

Sunderland as well.

"Today will be a great opportunity to show Nissan how well placed Sunderland, and indeed the North East, is for the production of electric and fuel efficient cars."

Electric vehicles and fuel efficient cars are expected to get a big boost from new EU requirements to reduce CO2 emissions from vehicles and from the target of 10% of energy used in transport to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Latest figures for the 12 million cars sold in Europe in 2008 reveal that average emissions were down by 3.3%, the largest fall since records began to be kept a decade ago