Business update September - October
GLOBAL
Financial results: Nissan Net Income up 18.8% in FY06 first half
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., announced on Oct 26, its financial results for the first half of fiscal year 2006, ending March 31, 2007, as well as second-quarter performance. In the six months through September, net income after tax totaled 274.2 billion yen (US $2.38 billion, euro 1.93 billion), up 18.8% compared with the same period last year due to the sale of Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Ltd. shares, favorable pension benefits from our operations in China and tax benefits resulting from losses incurred from our domestic dealer restructuring. Operating profit totaled 348.6 billion yen (US $3.02 billion, euro 2.45 billion), down 15.3%, while the operating profit margin came to 7.7%.
Renault, Nissan and GM terminate discussions
General Motors, Renault and Nissan announced that they have agreed to terminate discussions regarding a proposed alliance among the three companies.
The parties mutually recognized that significant aggregate synergies might result from the alliance. However the parties did not agree on either the total amount of aggregate synergies or the distribution of those benefits.
Based on its conclusions, GM had proposed that Renault-Nissan provide compensation as part of a potential alliance and for potentially precluding GM from entering other alliance opportunities if Renault-Nissan had made a significant investment in GM.
Renault and Nissan consider that the principle of compensation is contrary to the spirit of any successful alliance.
Nissan looks at driving intelligence of the future
Nissan has begun testing a newly developed intelligent transportation system which allows vehicle-to-infrastructure communication to help reduce traffic accidents and ease congestion.
The test will run from October 2006 to March 2009 in the Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo and around 10,000 drivers, who must be subscribers to Nissan’s CARWINGS navigation service, are expected to participate.
The advanced road traffic system uses information obtained from nearby vehicles and roadside optical beacons to alert drivers to potential danger from approaching vehicles. The information is received by an onboard antenna on the vehicle.
In addition, the system uses the information to warn drivers when they are speeding in school zones. It also provides drivers with fastest-route information using probe data - information on the position and speed of vehicles obtained by wireless communications technology.
More information available on: www.nissan-global.com
Nissan announced that it will introduce a new CARWINGS navigation service that will allow drivers to hear Internet information while driving. The new Internet navigation service will be available to CARWINGS subscribers this autumn in Japan.
CARWINGS is Nissan’s original telematics service and is exclusive to the Japanese market.
The new internet service allows CARWINGS subscribers to retrieve information from a limited number of Internet sites, including Yahoo! Japan, Sony’s So-net lifestyle blog and Nissan Drive Navi, a Nissan travel guide blog. The service automatically transforms information from the Internet (RSS format) into a user-friendly format that can be viewed on a vehicle navigation monitor. A voice function will read out the contents, making it possible to safely receive information even while driving.
More information available on: www.nissan-global.com
CORPORATE
Nissan’s CEO and Spain’s President meet in Avila
On October 31st, the President of the Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, was welcomed by Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. at the Avila-based Nissan Light Duty Trucks plant in Spain.
This visit was organised to celebrate the recent start of the production of the new Cabstar truck and the renewed Atleón truck. Mr Zapatero took time to meet with many of the 750 employees.
More information available on: www.nissaneurope-newsbureau.com
Nissan to appoint Volvo Trucks dealers in Germany and in the Nordic Region
Nissan is to appoint dealers from the Volvo dealer network in Germany and in the Nordic region for its sales and after-sales activities.
The Nissan line-up of vehicles offered to the Volvo network will include the all-new Cabstar, new Atleon and new Interstar panel van, all ranging from 2.8 to 15 tons GVW .The dealers will dedicate separate areas of their premises to the two makes while the two brands will maintain separate identities.
More information available on: www.nissaneurope-newsbureau.com
NMUK’s engine production reaches four million milestone
Nissan’s Engine Plant motored past an important milestone by producing its four millionth engine.
The landmark unit, a CR 1.2 litre petrol engine came off the production line on Tuesday 19th September, before being fitted to a Micra destined for sale in the UK. Production at the engine plant began in 1988, building powerplants for the Bluebird.
Since then, the shop has manufactured around 40 different engine variants for millions of vehicles worldwide, including models such as the Tino, Micra, Primera and Almera. Currently the Engine plant, which employs around 300 people, produces a range of six petrol engine variants up to 1.8 litre, all down the same line.
Nissan’s top executives held guest lectures at Oxford’s Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies
In commemoration of its 25th anniversary, the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies at Oxford University has hosted a series of annual lectures by Nissan Motor Co.’s top executives on the company’s manufacturing and revolutionary management methodologies. This year’s lectures, which were held on Oct. 12 and Oct. 13, were given by Tadao Takahashi, Executive Vice President of global manufacturing, and Colin Dodge, Senior Vice President of manufacturing, Europe
New Vice President of Sales Operations - Nissan Europe
Nissan Europe has appointed Christian Meunier as its new Vice President for Sales Operations. Meunier replaces Gary Frigo who moved to Nissan Motor GB as Managing Director. In this role, Christian Meunier will oversee sales operations in over 30 countries across Europe and reports directly to Brian Carolin, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing.
Biography available on: www.nissaneurope-newsbureau.com
PRODUCT
Nissan’s all new cross-over - Qashqai
Nissan on 6th September presented for the first time its new Compact Crossover for Europe, the Qashqai, at an event hosted in Paris by Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s President and CEO.
Designed, engineered and manufactured in Europe, the Qashqai is a new vehicle for Nissan, with sales starting in February 2007. It will cater for those car-buyers who want a more dynamic design than offered by a traditional C-segment car, but are not attracted to the large, aggressive nature of a compact SUV.
The design of the car was led by Nissan Design Europe (NDE) and it represents the first new production vehicle to be designed at NDE since its move to London in 2003. The development programme was led by Nissan Technical Centre Europe based in Cranfield, England, with significant input from Nissan’s engineering base in Japan. Qashqai will be produced at Nissan’s factory in Sunderland, England.
As well as European sales, Qashqai will also be exported from the Sunderland factory to Japan - where it will be named Dualis - the Middle East and additional overseas markets.
More information available on: www.nissaneurope-newsbureau.com
The new Cabstar made its debut at Hanover Motor Show
Developed on a brand new platform, the new Cabstar made its world premier at the Hanover Motor Show in September. The configuration of the new LCV remains true to its predecessor, using a Cabin-Over-Engine (COE) arrangement.
Designed and developed in Europe and Japan by Nissan as a global product, the new Cabstar will provide best-in-class payload combined with compactness, impressive maneuverability and best-in-class cargo length.
With its dramatically restyled cabin, the Cabstar is available in Single Tilt Cab and fixed Double Cab versions. Designed to build on the Cabstar’s already well-known strengths of economical running costs, all-round comfort, ease-of-use, efficient load-carrying capability, as well as strong and safe performance, the new Cabstar will offer an even more attractive proposition in the competitive 2.8 up to 4.5 tones gross vehicle weight category.
More information available on: www.nissaneurope-newsbureau.com
Furthermore, Nissan had announced that it expected its light commercial vehicle unit to meet its business commitments under the Nissan Value-Up plan in fiscal year 2006, a year ahead of schedule.
Under the three-year Nissan Value-Up plan which ends in fiscal year 2007, the unit committed to sales of 434,000 units, up 40% compared with fiscal year 2004. It also committed to doubling its consolidated operating profit margin to 8% compared with the level in fiscal 2004. The commitments are now expected to be met this fiscal year ending March 31, 2007
2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid Debuts
Nissan’s first entry into the hybrid gasoline/electric vehicle segment, the Nissan Altima Hybrid, made its North American debut at the 2007 Model Orange County Auto Show, California, in October and is on sale from November 2006.
The new Altima Hybrid offers all the style, convenience, comfort, quality feel and performance technology features and highlights of the next-generation 2007 Altima - while offering the added benefits of enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions.
The Altima Hybrid’s powertrain mates the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and electronic Continuously Variable Transmission (eCVT) with an electric motor and generator that increases fuel economy while maintaining low tailpipe emissions. The Altima Hybrid’s hybrid system is rated at a net power of 198 horsepower (148 kW), with fuel economy estimated at 41mpg City/36 mpg Highway.
Nissan’s launches eye-catching ad campaign
Nissan Europe is running a pan-European advertising campaign called "SHIFT_Capabilities".
The campaign aims at demonstrating the capabilities of Nissan's 4x4's by using the morphing technique. Each model from the range transforms itself into a highly capable animal made of "flesh and steel" that overcomes any obstacle with great ease.
The campaign was awarded ‘best commercial of the week’ by the readers of French magazine "Strategies". To view the commercial click here: http://www.nissan-europe.com/fr/4x4/index.html
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Los Angeles Auto Show - starts November 28th 2006