NISSAN IN SPAIN
With LCV production and an engineering hub based in the country, Spain is the home of Nissan's European Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) Business Unit
- Thirty year history of Nissan in Spain
- Nearly three million vehicles produced to date
- Three centres, employing 5,200 people
- 2011 production on target to top over 155.000 units
- Barcelona chosen to build new Pick-Up
Nissan's operation in Spain is an essential part of the company's presence in Europe. Employing a total of 5,200 people, Nissan has three sites in Spain: Ávila in the centre of the country, Cantabria to the North and Barcelona on the North-eastern coast.
Barcelona is the centre of Nissan's Spanish operations and the home of NMISA (Nissan Motor Iberica SA). Employing around 3,500 people, Barcelona's Zona Franca site is a major producer of LCVs.
The Barcelona plant, which covers an area in excess of 517,000m2, produced more than 90,000 units in 2010. Barcelona produces NV200, the winner of the Van of the Year 2010; Primastar (and its sister model, the Trafic for Renault); Navara, Europe's favourite Pick-up; and Pathfinder, the vehicle with the highest added value ever produced in Spain.
Barcelona will add a further product to its line-up following the announcement that a new Pick-up will be built at the plant, representing a substantial investment.
Barcelona is also the base for a number of other Nissan facilities, including a division of Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTC-E), a research and development facility for vehicles and diesel engines. The vast Zona Franca site also includes a Parts Centre and Parts Consolidation Centre for Europe, a Europe-wide Distribution Centre and the company's LCV Business Unit headquarters for Europe, Africa, Middle East and India. The city is also home to Nissan Iberia Regional Business Unit (RBU).
The nearby Montcada stamping plant employs more than 250 people providing body panels for the main plant, while the Cantabria foundry and machining plant employs almost 700 workers providing parts to both Barcelona and Ávila.
Ávila, which employs 500, produces the company's Medium and Light Duty Trucks, Atleon and Cabstar, the latter of which is also badged Maxity for Renault Trucks. Predecessor of current Atleon was built in Barcelona, until its manufacturing was transferred to Avila in 1990.
Nissan's history in the country stretches back to 1980 when the company acquired an equity interest in Motor Ibérica SA (NMISA), leading to the newly formed NMISA producing its first vehicle, the Patrol, in 1983, in Barcelona. During the 1980s, the acclaimed Trade van was produced at Nissan's Avila plant.
Ten years later, production at Barcelona was ramped up with the introduction of the 4WD Terrano II for the European market, the model accounting for 15 per cent of the plant's output by 1999. By the end of its production life, almost a quarter of a million Terrano II models had been built in Spain.
The strategic importance of the Barcelona plant was underlined in 1997, when a division of NTC-E was established with a specific brief to develop new diesel engines to cater for the growth of diesel usage throughout Europe.
Since 1983, Nissan has built almost three million vehicles in Spain with production peaking in 2007, when Barcelona delivered almost 193,000 vehicles and Ávila more than 30,000. The global economic downturn affected output at the end of 2008 and throughout 2009, but production rose in 2010 and has done so again this year. Indeed, in the nine months to the end of September 2011, Barcelona had produced more vehicles - over 105,000 - than it did in the entire 12 months of 2010.
"Nissan's presence in Spain continues to be of vital importance to the growth of the company in Europe. Production levels are rising and the engineering integrity and build quality of products from Barcelona and Ávila is well represented by the NV200's Van of the Year award.
"With the announcement that Barcelona has been chosen to build the forthcoming Pick-Up, NMISA's role in helping Nissan to achieve a 5% market share in Europe and the status of top Japanese brand in the region cannot be understated," said Sergio Alcaraz, Vice President, LCV Business Unit, AMIE.
At a glance
Barcelona Plant
Staff: 3,500
Plant area: 517,687m2
Features: 500 solar panels
Expertise: Body, paint, trim and chassis, powertain, plastic injection
Products: NV200, NV200 Evalia, Primastar, Navara, Pathfinder, plus new Pick-Up Units produced in 2010: 91,309
Units produced from January to September 2011: 105,842
Montcada Plant
Staff: 266
Plant area: 74,486m2
Features: 26 robots, six weld lines
Expertise: Stamping
Barcelona is also home to various Nissan companies including:
European Business Unit, Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV EBU)
Nissan Technical Centre Europe: Vehicle and diesel engine R&D (NTCE)
Vehicle distribution (NDS)
Parts Centre (NMPC)
Parts Consolidation Centre (PCC)
Nissan Iberia Regional Business Unit (RBU)
Ávila Plant
Staff: 501
Plant area: 220,000m2
Features: 21 robots
Expertise: Body, paint, trim and chassis
Products: Cabstar, Atleon
Units produced in 2010: 13,393
Units produced from January to September 2011: 11,575
Cantabria Plant
Staff: 681
Plant area: 132,000m2
Expertise: Foundry and machining
