EV investment sends positive signal down the supply chain, says Midland Deburr & Finish

Nissan’s £450 million commitment to producing the next-generation LEAF in Sunderland has been widely welcomed across the UK automotive supply chain, with specialist manufacturers seeing the investment as a critical stabilising force in an industry navigating rapid electrification, cost pressure and geopolitical uncertainty.

For Midland Deburr & Finish, the Lye-based surface finishing specialist, the announcement is more than a headline moment for the North East. It is further evidence that the UK’s electric vehicle transition is entering a more mature, industrially grounded phase – one that places renewed emphasis on process capability, quality assurance and supply chain resilience.

The Sunderland investment, which supports 6,000 jobs at Nissan’s Wearside plant and thousands more across the wider ecosystem, marks the first new high-volume EV to be produced in the UK since 2020. Backed by £4 billion of government funding through the modern Industrial Strategy and the DRIVE35 programme, it signals a long-term commitment to domestic EV manufacturing, battery production and associated technologies.

Chris Arrowsmith, Managing Director of Midland Deburr & Finish, says the announcement is a timely vote of confidence for UK manufacturers operating behind the scenes of the EV revolution.

“For companies like ours, this kind of investment matters enormously,” Arrowsmith says. “It tells the supply chain that EV manufacturing in the UK isn’t speculative or short-term – it’s industrially anchored and here to stay.”

Midland Deburr & Finish has supported EV programmes through both deburring and degreasing of battery and powertrain components, processes that are increasingly critical as manufacturers demand tighter tolerances, cleaner parts and repeatable quality at volume.

“EV battery components are unforgiving,” Arrowsmith explains. “You’re dealing with safety-critical assemblies, conductive surfaces and highly automated downstream processes. Any residual burrs or contamination can cause real issues later in the build. That’s why surface finishing is becoming more strategically important, not less, in the EV era.”

The UK’s EV transition has not been without its challenges. Slower-than-expected consumer uptake, infrastructure gaps and global competition have all tested confidence across the sector. However, Nissan’s decision to extend and modernise the LEAF programme in Sunderland – alongside the opening of AESC’s 12 GWh gigafactory adjacent to the plant – suggests that the UK is beginning to convert policy ambition into manufacturing reality.

From Midland Deburr’s perspective, the clustering of EV manufacturing, battery production and advanced supply chain capability is key.

“What’s encouraging is the joined-up nature of what’s happening,” says Arrowsmith. “You’re seeing vehicle assembly, battery manufacturing and supply chain investment moving together. That creates momentum and, crucially, gives UK suppliers the confidence to invest in skills, automation and new finishing technologies.”

Surface finishing, often overlooked in broader EV narratives, plays a quiet but essential role in enabling scale. As OEMs push for higher throughput, lower defect rates and more sustainable manufacturing, processes such as precision deburring and aqueous degreasing are becoming integral to meeting both quality and environmental requirements.

“Materials evolve, designs evolve, but the requirement for clean, dimensionally consistent components doesn’t go away. If anything, it becomes more demanding.” Arrowsmith adds.

With government backing, trade agreements opening new export routes, and major OEMs recommitting to UK production, Midland Deburr & Finish sees the Nissan announcement as a stabilising signal in a period of transition.

“This is about confidence in the technology Arrowsmith concludes. “When a global manufacturer puts £450 million on the table and ties it to UK skills, UK facilities and UK supply chains, that confidence ripples right the way through the industry.”

As the UK positions itself at the forefront of green manufacturing, the message from Lye is clear: the EV transition will be built on the specialist capabilities that make high-volume electrification possible.