NISSAN ON TARGET TO BE WORLD'S LEADING LCV MANUFACTURER
Impressive production and sales growth in Europe is helping Nissan in its quest to become global leader in the light commercial vehicle market
- Europe playing a vital role in company's LCV expansion
- European sales to double in the midterm to claim 5% market share
- Spain chosen to produce three new products including all-electric van
HANOVER (18 September, 2012) - Nissan is well on the way to reaching its goal of being the world's largest LCV manufacturer by 2016.
In the last financial year - FY2011 - the company sold more than one million units for the first time in its history, putting it a full year ahead of the Power88 mid term plan.
"Despite the huge head winds our business faced last year - the devastating Japanese earthquake, floods and, of course, the economic down turn and the Forex volatility - Nissan sold over one million units globally.
"As a result our ambition to become a global LCV player has been encouraged. Our target now is to be the world's leading LCV manufacturer by 2016," said Hideto Murakami, Corporate Vice President, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, in charge of the Global LCV Business Unit.
Global LCV sales already account for around 20 per cent of all Nissan sales and the ambition will be achieved by expansion in new markets, strategic partnerships and substantial growth in traditional markets. An on-going new model offensive will see the company with one of the youngest model ranges of any manufacturer.
In Europe no fewer than six new or substantially revised products will be launched by 2013 and from now until 2016, no fewer than 11 new LCV products are promised.
Global visibility - and sales - will be aided by innovative projects such as the New York City Taxi of Tomorrow, won by the Nissan NV200. The first examples of the specially developed taxi will arrive on the streets of New York towards the end of 2013 to start a ten-year programme by the end of which every one of the City's 13,000 iconic yellow cabs will be NV200s.
As further evidence of the company's global presence, Nissan has also been chosen to be the LCV official supplier for the highly successful Red Bull Racing F1 Team.
And Nissan's global leadership of the zero-emission passenger car market will be matched in the LCV market when sales of an all-electric version of the award winning compact NV200 - e-NV200 - start in FY2013.
Europe's contribution to the growth will be significant. With the largest LCV line-up of any manufacturer in Europe, Nissan's seven strong model range covers 93 per cent of the market, giving the company unrivalled coverage in virtually every segment.
Currently selling about 50,000 units per year - most of which are built in Spain - the plan is to double annual sales to 100,000 units in the midterm, to claim a five per cent market share by 2016.
The production facilities in Spain are key to this expansion. Nearly three million vehicles have been built at Nissan plants in Barcelona and Avila since 1980.
Today, the vast majority of Nissan's LCV product line-up for Europe is built in Europe. Barcelona builds Navara and Pathfinder, NV200 and Primastar (which is also badged Renault Trafic and Opel Vivaro). Avila builds Atleon and Cabstar while NV400 is produced for Nissan by Alliance partner Renault in France.
A number of conversion firms have established facilities near Nissan's operations in Barcelona and Avila to produce specialist bodies and conversions on a wide range of vehicles. All are fully covered by Nissan's comprehensive three-year warranty.
In addition, Spain has a stamping plant producing body parts, a foundry and machining plant, research and development facilities, parts and distribution centres and is also home to the company's LCV business unit.
In 2011, despite the current financial problems in Europe, production in Spain increased by almost 50,000 units to 154,492 vehicles, a rise of 47.6 per cent over 2010. Production of NV200 rose by almost 67 per cent year on year, while Primastar in its various guises did even better as production increased by more than 28,000 units, a rise of 68 per cent.
This increase in productivity and quality has led to Spain winning the contract for no fewer than three significant new vehicles due to enter the market in the next two years.
Earlier this year it was announced that Avila had won the contract to produce a new medium duty truck, while more recently Barcelona was chosen as the home of the forthcoming zero-emission e-NV200 compact van.
Due to enter production in the 2013 financial year, e-NV200's arrival at Barcelona represents an investment by Nissan of more than €100 million in Spain and underlines the growing competitiveness of the company's industrial operation in the country.
Barcelona will be the sole production facility for e-NV200 and the plant is expected to build around 20,000 units annually for global distribution.
The dramatic increase in production and sales of Nissan's LCVs against a backdrop of uncertainty in the market is down to a number of factors, but principally it is because every vehicle doesn't just meet customer expectations, but exceeds them.
By closely studying customer needs, Nissan is able to develop or adapt global and regional models to suit specific requirements; ensuring that not only is the vehicle fit for purpose, but that it also has low running costs matched by high levels of quality and reliability.
Quality covers every aspect of the vehicle, not just how well it is built. It includes the design of the vehicle, its practical aspects as well as its features. Nissan sees no reason why drivers of commercial vehicles should not enjoy the same levels of comfort and technology as car drivers.
In Europe that means the availability of advanced and innovative features such as Nissan Connect, which brings together satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and entertainment, and the Around View Monitor, which makes manoeuvring and parking in crowded city streets easier.
The ownership experience has been similarly enhanced. In Europe, a new set of dedicated dealer standards ensuring competitive sales and aftersales service have been implemented in the five largest markets, and will now be rolled out across all other markets. The aim is to provide the highest levels of service to secure customer satisfaction.
"Nissan's LCV offering is a compelling one," said Hideto Murakami. "The range is wide, varied and packed with innovative technology, while Nissan's global leadership in zero-emission mobility will be underlined by e-NV200.
"Our plans might sound ambitious, but I have no doubt we will succeed in our aim to be the world's leading LCV manufacturer by 2016."
