e-NV200: Barcelona for the World
No matter where in the globe it is sold, every e-NV200 starts its life on the Nissan production line in Spain
- Barcelona is the sole production centre for e-NV200
- Represents a €100 million investment at the plant
- Initial exports to 20 markets including Japan
- Barcelona will run the first fleet of e-NV200 zero emission taxis
Global production of e-NV200 is based at Nissan's Barcelona plant, the home of Nissan's European Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) Business Unit. Production started in early May.
The arrival of e-NV200 and its associated battery production represents an investment in the facility of €100 million and is part of a wider €341 investment by Nissan in its Spanish operations.
Initial production will be exported to around 20 international markets, including Japan, with more markets to follow as Nissan's EV expansion continues.
At a special ceremony to mark the first e-NV200 off the production lines, Andy Palmer, Chief Planning Officer, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., said: "This is a landmark day for Nissan. EVs are now recognized as mainstream technology, but as many competitors are only just starting to launch their first EV, Nissan has clear first mover advantage.
"We're proud that Nissan LEAF is the world's best-selling electric vehicle with more than 110,000 delighted customers enjoying the quiet and smooth ride of an EV."
Frank Torres, managing director and vice president of Nissan Spain Industrial Operations, added: "That Barcelona has the honour of producing Nissan's second 10 percent electric vehicle is the result of many years of hard work and quality improvements from the team here."
Significantly, the city of Barcelona will be the first in the world to use the zero emission e-NV200 as part of its taxi fleet, ready to set an example to other cities.
"In the wake of record levels of air pollution in London and Paris, the arrival of the e-NV200 taxi takes on a real significance.
"Bringing a meaningful number of zero-emission vehicles to Barcelona's streets will ensure cleaner air for every citizen, visitor and tourist, and we're confident that forward-thinking councils everywhere will be clamouring to bring these benefits to their municipalities in the coming years," said Palmer.
Barcelona, one of three sites in the country, is at the heart of Nissan's Spanish operations and is the home of NMISA (Nissan Motor Iberica SA).
The plant covers an area in excess of 517,000 m2, produced 131,900 units in 2013 and currently employs just over 3,500 people.
It is also the base for a number of other Nissan facilities, including a division of Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE), a research and development facility for vehicles and diesel engines.
As well as e-NV200, the plant produces all versions of NV200 destined for Europe as well as Pathfinder, Navara, the Primastar LCV and the recently unveiled Nissan Pulsar passenger car. Primastar is also produced as the Renault Trafic and Opel Vivaro.
Work on the facility started in 1980 and it produced its first vehicle in 1983, making it the first Nissan plant to produce vehicles in Europe.
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