Nissan Newbird: Bluebird Reloaded Electrically

At times, Nissan was the UK's largest car manufacturer by volume. The "Newbird" aims to connect the longstanding tradition with Nissan's Ambition 2030 and address accelerated electrification: The "Restomod" uses the fully electric powertrain of the Leaf, which has also been produced at the Sunderland plant for ten years. "The Newbird represents everything that's great about our plant celebrating its 35th production anniversary: the past, the present, and the future," said Alan Johnson, Vice President Manufacturing at Nissan's Sunderland plant.

Extensive modifications were needed - and cost a lot of trunk space

For the fully electric new edition, the Nissan Bluebird was extensively modified: Instead of an internal combustion engine, electric motor, inverter, and a 40-kWh battery pack were used, divided between the engine and the trunk for good balance. The latter almost completely disappeared – a small packaging problem. A special suspension handles the additional weight of the battery modules. Power steering, brakes, and heating were also overhauled and adapted for electric operation.

The charging port is now hidden behind the fuel door: The high-voltage battery can be charged with up to 6.6 kW. The original instrument panel is now connected to the EV system and displays the battery's charge level. The range of the unapproved prototype is estimated at around 130 miles (209 kilometers) per charge. Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h occurs in just under 15 seconds.

The European Nissan Design Centre created a new graphic motif for the exterior, blending popular visual accents of the 1980s with 21st-century aesthetics. The LED backlighting highlights the original hood (in stationary mode) and points to the innovative drive system.

The conversion was led by Kinghorn Electric Vehicles: The family business, based in Durham, is located just a few kilometers from the Nissan plant and specializes in converting classic cars to fully electric drive. They use used motors, inverters, and batteries from the Nissan Leaf for this purpose. George Kinghorn recalls: "The opening of the plant brought a significant economic boost to the Northeast. The Bluebird was the first vehicle off the line. It stands for the beginning of this optimism, progress, and global industrial presence that continues to this day. Electric vehicles are not just the future, they are the here and now! Converting older vehicles to electric drive allows these legendary classics to be used in everyday life. They are just as much fun, but more reliable and, above all, emit no harmful emissions. We believe that with this project, we have created a car that combines the soul of the Nissan Bluebird with the heart of a Nissan LEAF."

In transition: The European Nissan plant

Since its opening in 1986, more than 10.5 million vehicles have rolled off the production line at Nissan's Sunderland plant. The workforce has grown from an initial 430 to now 6,000 employees – including 19 who have been there since the beginning. The first vehicle produced in Sunderland was the Bluebird Job 1, which is also the centerpiece of an exhibit at the local museum. A total of 187,178 more Bluebirds followed it until 1990. While production initially took more than 22 hours per car, today, 35 years later, a Leaf rolls off the line in just ten hours – thanks to modern manufacturing technology.

With the recently introduced "Nissan Ambition 2030," the Japanese automaker is evolving into a completely sustainable company committed to a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world. The vision supports Nissan's goal to be carbon neutral across the entire lifecycle of its products by 2050. To achieve this, all new Nissan vehicles in key markets such as Europe will be electrified by the early 2030s. The Nissan Chill-Out, showcased as part of the latest announcements, offers a glimpse into a new generation of electric crossovers, which will also be produced in Sunderland.

Wind Energy for Manufacturing

In parallel, the company is establishing an EV competence center with "EV36Zero" as a holistic ecosystem for the production of electric cars and high-voltage batteries. To this end, Nissan is also expanding the share of renewable energies at the site: In addition to the 6.6 megawatt (MW) wind turbines and the 4.75 MW solar park, a solar park expansion with 20 MW is being added. The installation is expected to be completed by May 2022. As a result, the on-site generated power from renewable sources will double to 20 percent of the plant's energy needs – enough to build every Nissan LEAF sold in Europe. Up to nine additional solar plants are expected to follow.

What does it mean?

A colorful and edgy "birthday cake" that Nissan has treated itself to! And a hint at how classics could also be kept on the road locally emission-free, although there are sometimes problems with the "package" – and the H license plate is no longer possible.