Alliance EVs may bolster Nissan parts factory

NISSAN Motor Company Australia (NMCA) has revealed that the Nissan Casting Australia Plant (NCAP), located in Dandenong South, Victoria, could produce parts for electric vehicles (EVs) set to be released under the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s mid-term plan.

 

Speaking to GoAuto this week at the official opening of the world-first Alliance National Distribution Centre in Truganina, Victoria, NMCA managing director Stephen Lester confirmed that  forthcoming Alliance EVs may lead to additional contracts for NCAP.

 

“I think it’s proven already, in the sense that we’re one of the critical suppliers of Leaf and e-Power powerplants, and we’ll continue to work with the team there … these guys are doing a fantastic job in making sure that we can continue producing parts locally here in Australia,” he said.

 

As previously reported, the Alliance and its 10 brands will release 12 new EVs by 2022. One such EV is the second-generation Leaf small hatchback that already sees its water jacket, inverter case and stator housing supplied by NCAP.

 

Gaining these Alliance contracts would help NCAP achieve its goal of becoming the French-Japanese conglomerate's preferred factory for high-pressure die-cast aluminium parts for EVs by 2020.

 

When questioned if NCAP would be able to handle the increased workload that producing parts for Alliance EVs would bring, Mr Lester explained that it could not be exclusively relied on for such output.

 

“No, the short answer is on a global production basis. These decisions are being made to capitalise on the synergies globally, to just take that amount or to be able to cover off all of the capacity that could be demanded within the global supply chain. It’s not possible to be really held just in our plant solely,” he said.

 

However, Mr Lester was optimistic that NCAP will continue to be an important global player moving forward, with these possible Alliance EV contracts helping to shore up its mid-term future.

 

“We believe it could absolutely play a role. There’s no question about it. The quality that’s being delivered out of the plant today – that has been demonstrated now over time – should continue to be so,” he said.

 

“It’s a very well-run plant. Top of many of our quality scores across the globe, so it’s just a testament to the strength of the Australian team here.”

 

NMCA director of aftersales Peter Gillam added that NCAP currently has the lowest failure rate in the world for that type of manufacturing, placing it above all of Nissan Motor Company’s other parts factories.

 

Furthermore, NCAP’s current output extends beyond the Leaf, Note and Serena e-Power’s parts, providing yet another avenue for the €10 billion ($A15.72 billion) of annual synergies that the Alliance is targeting by the end of 2022, according to Mr Gillam.

 

“They also do our accessories for tow bars. We manufacture the tow bar in Australia at that site, so that’s a critical part of the Alliance synergies we could probably utilise in the future for across the brands. They do allow manufacturing for tow bars,” he said.

 

NCAP has been in operation for 35 years and produces some of the aluminium parts found in the Qashqai, X-Trail and Navara, as well as the Renault Koleos and Infiniti Q50, among others.

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