When Nissan opened its Sunderland UK assembly plant in 1986, the first car to come off the line was a Nissan Bluebird. 35 years later, Nissan is celebrating the anniversary of Sunderland with the one-off Newbird, an electric conversion of the classic Bluebird. Technicians at Sunderland transplanted the Leaf’s electric drivetrain to the Bluebird, reinforced the suspension for extra weight, and converted the heater and power steering to use electric power. The charging port is hidden under the original fuel cap and configured for completely seamless integration into the existing chassis. To complete this work, Nissan has also partnered with Kinghorn Electric Vehicles, a family-owned company that specializes in electrical conversions, located almost right next to the Sunderland plant. Click here for more information on the 1986 Nissan Electric Newbird.
