Nissan's electric car to be built in UK

Nissan says it will start building its zero-emission Leaf electric car at a plant in Britain from 2013, saving more than 2,000 jobs in the North East.

The factory in Sunderland will also make the vehicle's lithium-ion batteries and will be the third earmarked to produce the clean cars after plants in Oppama, Japan and the US state of Tennessee.

The investment of more than £350m will help maintain about 2,250 jobs at Sunderland and across Nissan's British supply chain, the Japanese company said.

Initial output will be about 50,000 vehicles a year from early 2013. The Leaf is due to go on sale worldwide this year with production beginning in Japan, while the US factory will start making them in 2012.