A one-off electric Nissan Bluebird has been created to celebrate 35 years of production at the firm’s manufacturing plant in Sunderland, fusing 1980s car design with modern-day technology.
The electric powertrain for the Bluebird - the first car to be built at the factory in 1986 - is adapted from the one used in the Nissan Leaf, which is made there today.
The Bluebird uses the entry-level Leaf's 40kWh battery pack, with its modules split between the engine bay and boot for optimised weight distribution. The weight of the batteries meant the Bluebird’s suspension had to be bulked up.
It is powered by a 150bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels, and it’s 0-62mph time is rated at just under 15secs
The charging point is hidden behind the original fuel cap, while range is rated at around 130 miles. Other EV-related changes include an illuminated front badge and revised dashboard gauges.
The conversion was carried out by Kinghorn Electric Vehicles, based near Sunderland, which specialises in converting classic cars to electric power.
The car has been nicknamed the Nissan Newbird, and painted in what Nissan describes as a ‘1980’s inspired livery’.
Sunderland has produced more than 10.5 million cars since it opened 35 years ago and now employs 6000 people – 19 of whom have been there since it opened.
Today, the Nissan Qashqai and Juke are built in Sunderland alongside the Leaf, while other models to have been built at the factory include the Primera, Micra, Almera, Note and Juke, plus Infinti's Q30 and QX30.
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