RECORDS TUMBLE AT NISSAN SUNDERLAND PLANT IN 25THANNIVERSARY YEAR
-UK's biggest carmaker sets new all-time production record
-Employment reaches all-time high to meet customer demand
Staff at Nissan Sunderland Plant capped their 25th anniversary year in style with a string of new
UK car industry records.
In 2011 the plant made a total of 480,485 vehicles, dwarfing the 2010 total of 423,262 vehicles, which itself was the first time any UK car plant had ever made more than 400,000 cars in one year.
Demand for the Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Juke meant the plant exceeded that previous record on November 16. November itself was a record month for the plant with 46,606 vehicles made - the highest monthly total in the plant's history.
Nissan's leadership in the Crossover market was demonstrated by the production totals of its top-selling models Qashqai (244,298), Qashqai+2 (56,979) and Juke (132,606). In addition the plant made 46,602 units of the award-winning Nissan Note.
This new record reflects the first full calendar year in which there has been 24-hour production of the Qashqai and Qashqai+2 and was also the first full year of Juke production, which included the addition of a 4X4 Juke and the limited edition Juke Kuro.
Additionally, extra staff were hired at the plant to help meet the customer demand which led to Nissan achieving an all-time record European market share of 4.2% in September.
The number of jobs at Nissan Sunderland Plant also reached an all-time high with 5,462 people directly employed on site.
The year ahead promises to be just as exciting, with Sunderland Plant set to launch Nissan's first lithium-ion battery production facility outside Japan and preparing for the start of Nissan LEAF production in 2013.
Nissan's Vice President for Manufacturing in the UK, Kevin Fitzpatrick, said: "Our 25th anniversary year will go down in UK car production history and all our staff can be proud of the many milestones we have passed.
"Our 26th year promises to be equally exciting, as we launch the new Battery Plant at Sunderland and prepare the plant for production of the 100% Nissan LEAF alongside the Qashqai, Juke and Note."
Other milestones reached in 2011 at Nissan Sunderland Plant included the production of the plant's six millionth vehicle in January, then in June Nissan's Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn announced that the next generation of the Nissan Qashqai would be designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK - as the Qashqai became the fastest UK-made car in history to reach one million units.
The Qashqai was also updated in 2011 to include the most powerful 1.6 diesel engine in the world, replacing the previous 2.0 dCi with a more efficient engine that not only delivers lower emissions and considerably improved levels of fuel economy but which offers the same level of performance as the bigger engine. Nissan's Stop/Start System becomes available soon, which will see CO2 emissions drop to just 119 g/km. Qashqai is also the first C-segment car in the world to become available with Nissan's Around View Monitor (AVM), designed to make parking as safe and as simple as possible.
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For further information please contact the Nissan Sunderland Plant press office:
Paul James
0191 418 4197 07814 851943 paul.james@nissan-nmuk.co.uk
Lucy Banwell
0191 415 2815 07969 182 856 lucy.banwell@nissan-nmuk.co.uk
Dawn Waugh
0191 415 2764 dawn.waugh@nissan-nmuk.co.uk
Nissan Production Way
All Nissan plants globally operate the Nissan Production Way in order to produce the highest quality vehicles in the most efficient way possible. Through a culture of ‘Kaizen', meaning ‘continuous improvement', staff are always working towards ‘Douki Seisan', the ideal situation for production. Nissan's Total Quality Management system, designed to ensure the long-term success of the organisation, places customer satisfaction as the top priority.
Nissan in the UK
Nissan Sunderland Plant was established in 1984 and production began in 1986. Total investment made and announced since then is £3.3 billion. Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than 6.4 million units with 80 per cent of production exported to 97 markets worldwide. Sunderland Plant currently employs more than 5,400 staff. Nissan's European Design Centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 50 people. Nissan's European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and employs around 500 people.
Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 12,500 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 528,000 vehicles including mini-MPVs, award-winning crossovers, SUVs and commercial vehicles. Nissan now offers 24 diverse and innovative products for sale in Europe today, and is positioned to become the number one Japanese brand in Europe.
About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokahama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles in 2010. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emission vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award. For more information on our products, services and commitment to Sustainable Mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN