Nissan "Newbird" Restomod as an electrified Bluebird!

For the 35th anniversary of production at the Sunderland plant, Nissan is making a very special gift: the legendary Nissan Bluebird, the first British-made product, is now rolling off the production line as a fully electric special model. The “Newbird” is unique: It combines the longstanding tradition with the Nissan Ambition 2030 and accelerated electrification - which strengthens the recently presented corporate vision of tomorrow's mobility. The prototype drives up with the fully electric drive train of the LEAF. The e-pioneer, also produced in Sunderland, paved the way for electromobility with its market launch more than 10 years ago.

Nissan "Newbird" electric mod

"The Newbird represents everything that is great about our plant, which is now celebrating its 35th anniversary: ​​the past, the present and the future"Says Alan Johnson, Vice President Manufacturing at the Nissan Sunderland plant. "We have a rich tradition of building great cars, starting with the first Bluebird. In the meantime, our team is on the way to an exciting, electrified and CO₂-neutral future."

Newbird in detail

The Nissan Bluebird has been extensively modified for the all-electric new edition: the petrol engine and transmission have given way to the drive train of the LEAF. The electric motor, inverter and a 40 kWh battery pack, which was divided between the engine compartment and the trunk for a good balance, were introduced. A special suspension bears the additional weight of the battery modules. Power steering, brakes and heating have also been revised and designed for electrical operation.

The charging connection is now hidden behind the fuel filler flap: 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 shows the battery level. The range of the unapproved prototype is estimated to be around 130 miles (209 kilometers) per battery charge. Acceleration from zero to 100 km / h takes just under 15 seconds.

For the exterior, the European Nissan Design Center designed a new graphic motif that combines popular visual accents from the 1980s with the aesthetics of the 21st century. The LED backlighting sets the original bonnet (when stationary) in the limelight and refers to the innovative drive. The conversion was led by Kinghorn Electric Vehicles: The family company based in Durham is only a few kilometers away from the Nissan plant and has specialized in converting classic cars to fully electric drives. For this it uses used motors, inverters and batteries from the Nissan LEAF.

"Given our proximity to the Sunderland facility, working on this Bluebird was a great project that we wanted to be a part of“Explains George Kinghorn. "The opening of the plant triggered a major economic boom in the northeast. The Bluebird was the first vehicle to roll off the assembly line. It represents 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! If you convert older vehicles to electric drive, you can use these legendary oldtimers in everyday life. They're just as fun, but more reliable and most importantly, they don't emit 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."

The European Nissan plant

The Nissan Sunderland plant, which opened in 1986, has so far produced more than 10,5 million vehicles. The number of employees rose from the original 430 to 6.000 employees - including 19 employees who have been with the company since the very beginning. The first vehicle to be produced in Sunderland was the Bluebird Job 1, which is also the centerpiece of an exhibition in the local museum. It was followed by a total of 1990 more Bluebirds by 187.178. While production initially took more than 22 hours per vehicle, today, 35 years later, a LEAF rolls off the assembly line in just ten hours - thanks to modern production technology.

With the recently launched “Nissan Ambition 2030”, the Japanese automaker is evolving into a fully sustainable company committed to a cleaner, safer and more inclusive world. The vision supports Nissan's goal of being CO2050-neutral over the entire life cycle of its products by 2. For this purpose, all new Nissan vehicles in key markets such as Europe will be electrified by the beginning of the 2030s: The Nissan Chill-Out presented as part of the latest announcements gives an outlook on a new generation of electric crossovers, which will also be produced in Sunderland.

At the same time, with "EV36Zero", the company is establishing an EV competence center 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, there is a solar park expansion with 20 MW. The installation is expected to be completed by May 2022. This doubles the electricity generated locally from renewable sources to 20 percent of the company's own energy requirements - enough to build every Nissan LEAF sold in Europe. Up to nine more solar systems are to follow.

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Nissan Sunderland is celebrating its 35th birthday with a fully electric special edition of the legendary Bluebird
Photo credit: Nissan

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