NISSAN AIMS TO BE WORLD'S LEADING LCV MANUFACTURER
Growth in Europe integral to achieving the goal
- LCV expansion a pillar of Nissan growth plans
- Nissan wants to be LCV world leader by 2016...
- ... and a key player in Europe with 5% share
- Target in Europe - to double sales in midterm to 100k units
- Achievable thanks to:
- Widest range of LCVs on the market
- Products built in Europe
- Innovative segment-breaking products
- Highly-efficient vehicles with low running costs
- Real answers to real business needs
Integral to Nissan's bold plans to become a leader producer of light commercial vehicles is the doubling of sales volume in the European market.
Currently selling about 50,000 units year in Europe - 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.
By that date, this increase in sales of LCVs in Europe will help Nissan become the world's leading LCV manufacturer with commercial vehicle accounting for over 20 per cent of the company's global sales.
"These are ambitious plans," admits Sergio Alcaraz, Vice President, LCV Business Unit, AMIE, "but they will be achieved. Nissan currently has the widest range of LCVs on the market, covering everything from the award-winning NV200 small van to the versatile Atleon truck."
"In between there are new and innovative products such as the NV400, Primastar and Cabstar vans and trucks and top selling pick-ups like Navara. All are fully Euro5 compliant and all have been designed to deliver exactly what customers want and what they need.
"But this is just the start. New models, often exploring new segments and delivering new innovations, are just around the corner."
Real world testing of the first Nissan electric van has already begun in Japan where the Japan Post Service carried out collection and delivery tasks. The test, in the city of Yokohama, lasted approximately two months and evaluated the vehicle's capabilities under everyday usage conditions. Similar tests will be carried out both in Japan and Europe later this year and next.
Nissan has a long history in the commercial vehicle market, having had an LCV lineup since its very beginning. Nissan's first LCV was the Datsun 13 Pickup, which went on sale in 1934. Over the ensuing 75+ years, the company's commercial vehicles, wearing the Datsun and Nissan badges, have been loved by customers all over the world.
In FY10 the company achieved 850,000 sales across the globe giving Nissan LCV a robust solid stance, ready to expand the market and create vehicles that not only stand out from the crowd, but also deliver on every promise they make.
The philosophy is straightforward. Every commercial vehicle developed by Nissan - whether in Europe, India, the Far East or North America - doesn't just meet customer expectations, but exceeds them. By studying customer needs, Nissan is able to develop or adapt global and regional models to suit specific requirements.
A perfect example is New York City's ‘Taxi of Tomorrow,' which New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has described as "the safest, most comfortable and most convenient cab the city has ever had."
After a rigorous selection process that took place over more than two years, the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission selected the Nissan NV200 as the exclusive taxi of New York City. When it enters the City's taxi fleet in late 2013, it will meet demanding specifications and provide a new era of urban mobility for more than 600,000 New Yorkers every day.
The cab will be built in North America at Nissan's facility in Cuernavaca, Mexico.
New product plans include the versatile NV400 range, the larger NV Series of models designed for the North American market, and a new generation light commercial van to be revealed at Tokyo Motor Show. There's also a new EV based on the NV200 which is now going through the real world testing globally, with the aim of becoming a leader in the field of zero-emissions. From now until 2016, 11 totally new models will be launched worldwide.
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.
Quality also encompasses the sales and after sales service aspect of vehicle ownership, with changes to the network designed to give customers the best possible levels of service.
Acquiring new markets is imperative for growth. Nissan has identified the US, India and Indonesia as key territories for the brand and has developed new models specially adapted for the specific requirements. At the same, Nissan is making plans for expansion for emerging markets like Russia and China, while existing markets, including Europe, are targeted for growth.
A strategy to achieve the company's goals in such a tight time frame is aided by the development of strategic partnerships. Joint ventures are an ideal solution for bringing new vehicles to market quickly, and doing so in an efficient and cost effective manner while, at the same time, generating added value for customers.
This is the basic principle behind the Renault-Nissan Alliance and strategic partnerships with companies such as Mazda, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Volvo Trucks and Renault Trucks. In China, Nissan has a joint venture with Dongfeng since 2002 to produce heavy trucks, light commercial vehicles and passenger cars.
Nissan's newest such alliance is with Ashok Leyland in India. In October 2007, the two companies signed three joint ventures to develop and manufacture commercial vehicles in India. The first, the Ashok Leyland Dost, was launched this year with a Nissan-badged vehicle due to release in 2012.
"Our mission is challenging, but with our current and future range of product, our strategic alliances and our focus on customer satisfaction it should be clear that when it comes to light commercial vehicles, Nissan means business," said Alcaraz.