Nissan boss urges caution over the UK's potential EU exit

Carlos Ghosn, boss of Renault-Nissan, has warned that the manufacturer would have to reconsider its investments in the UK if it chose to depart from the European Union.

In an interview with the BBC while speaking at Nissan's Sunderland plant for the launch of the new Qashqai, he said: "Everything has been done in the UK today considering that the UK is part of Europe. Obviously if a decision has to be made contrary to this then we will need to reconsider our strategy.

"Personally I don't think this is a most probable scenario, but if this scenario becomes real it's obviously going to be a major factor and we will need to consider what this means for us in the future."

Nissan's Sunderland plant currently employs 6500 people and produces over 500,000 cars a year, but Ghosn appeared to allay any concerns about the future of the factory.

"I'm not worried about Sunderland. Sunderland is a very competitive plant and it's a European plant based in the UK. So if anything has to change, we need to reconsider our strategy and our investments for the future."

He also commented that the new Nissan Qashqai would help ensure that jobs remain in the city.

When asked if the UK's potential withdrawal from the EU had implications for investment, he said: "It will... You can not consider the UK independently of its environment. If the UK is part of Europe, it's a completely different situation if the UK is not part of Europe.

"For the moment it is part of Europe and we will continue to invest and act like we have European assets in the UK."

Previously, Ghosn had stated that the European car market was set for growth but indicated that the governments needed to support future expansion rather than continue to combat deficits.