To Infiniti……

Nissan’s luxury vehicle division Infiniti will make vehicles for the European market at the parent company’s plant in Sunderland, United Kingdom, from 2015.

There are reported to be some unique considerations for logistics according to the company. Infiniti will begin production following the completion of a 25,000m2 extension at the Sunderland facility.

The production expansion forms part of a £250m total investment in Sunderland by Infiniti.

Construction will begin over the next few weeks, after planning approval was granted by the City Council on Wednesday 4th September.

Nissan Motor UK Manufacturing Vice-President, Kevin Fitzpatrick, said the expansion reflected a progression in the company’s manufacturing capabilities, which would be experienced throughout the supply chain.

Paul Maddison, General Manager of Alliance Logistics Europe, said work had started on the supply chain considerations the company had to make to bring in more material to what is already the biggest car plant in the UK.

‘The new Infiniti model will have some unique considerations for logistics,’ Maddison said. ‘Sourcing is being decided now, so our solutions are not finalised yet, but we already know there are some unique areas of the supply chain that we need to study in more detail, and a cross functional team is well underway with this now,’ Maddison added.

In 2012, Sunderland made more than 510,000 vehicles, including the Qashqai, Juke and Note models. In April this year, it added production of the 2nd generation Leaf electric vehicle.

Basing Infiniti production for the European market there is the latest step in the success of the plant since it began operations in 1986.

The company said the plant was chosen in recognition of the workforce’s productivity and quality achievements over many years.

Total plant volume stands at almost 7m units. ‘The compact car is crucial for our future growth plans, and the decision to invest and build the vehicle in the UK further underlines our long-term commitment to Europe,’ said Fintan Knight, Vice President at Infiniti Europe.

The new Infiniti model is expected to feature design elements drawn from the Q30 Concept being shown in the Frankfurt Motor Show.

(Source: Automotive Logistics News, 11th September 2013)

Jaguar Land Rover to create 1,700 new UK jobs in major boost for industry

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced plans to create 1,700 new jobs at its plant in the UK.

The car giant’s Indian owner TATA Motors has pledged to invest £1.5bn in a bid to expand its  product range, and in doing so, will provide a big boost to employment opportunities at its main site at Solihull in the West Midlands.

Service firms around the country are also expected to benefit, and the government has welcomed the news as the latest positive step in Britain’s move out of recession.

Unions have welcomed the creation of jobs, and the investment is also a big boost to the UK motor industry which has already seen increased sales this year.

The first model to be added to the carmaker’s range will be a sports saloon car, scheduled to be launched in 2015. A portion of the £1.5bn will also be spent on introducing aluminium chassis technology across the board.

JLR Chief Executive, Dr Ralf Speth, speaking at the Frankfurt Motor Show, said: ‘This announcement signals Jaguar Land Rover’s ambitions to push the boundaries and redefine premium car ownership. At Jaguar Land Rover we place the customer at the
heart of everything we do and the introduction of a world-class, all-new aluminium vehicle architecture means we will be more competitive, flexible and efficient delivering exciting new products for our customers around the world. This investment and level of job creation is yet further evidence of our commitment to advancing the capability of the UK automotive sector and its supply chain.’

The 1,700 new jobs at the Solihull site in the West Midlands will bring the total number of UK manufacturing roles – announced by the firm over the last three years – to almost 11,000.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said: ‘Jaguar Land Rover has been experiencing great success over the last couple of years but this ground breaking project takes Jaguar on to the next level. This all-aluminium architecture project typifies the type of innovative and high-value R&D that the UK excels in and government is supporting through the automotive industrial strategy.’

Len McCluskey, leader of the Unite union, said: ‘JLR is a great British success story, and this new investment in jobs and skills ought to maintain its global reputation for world-class vehicles. The UK workforce, with their skills and dedication, are at the heart of this success. This investment is their due reward and we are delighted that JLR has committed further to Britain.’

JLR has three advanced manufacturing facilities in the UK: Solihull and Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands, and Halewood on Merseyside. The company’s Solihull manufacturing facility has been home to Land Rover since production commenced in 1948.

It currently builds the Defender, the Discovery, and the all-new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. JLR added that it will ‘significantly increase’ spending with its supply base.

(Source: The Independent, 10th September 2013)

Nissan seeks to expand UK car plant as it adds Infiniti production

 

A artist’s visual of the Infiniti Q30 to be built by Nissan in Sunderland.

Nissan has applied for permission to expand its factory at Sunderland in north east England, already Britain’s largest car-making plant, where it plans to produce a new premium compact car for its Infiniti brand starting in 2015.

SAAB GETS READY TO RESTART PRODUCTION

Saab’s new owner is seeking to restart production at the automaker’s mothballed factory in Sweden later this year.

The  is ‘practically ready’ to begin building the 9-3 mid-sized car, said Mikael Oestlund, a spokesman for National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS).

The company has recruited about 300 people including team leaders to oversee assembly, Oestlund said.

‘It is possible to start production later this year,’ he said.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden, which is owned by a Chinese renewable energy investor, bought Saab out of bankruptcy in August 2012.

Oestlund said the 9-3 that will go into production will be very similar to the 9-3 that Saab stopped building in 2011.

He did not disclose engine details except to say that the gasoline version would be turbo-charged.

An electric version, planned to launch in 2014, would be given a much more comprehensive face-lift, he added.

Oestlund said the 9-3 will be sold in Europe and China initially, with US sales possible later.

‘Saab will again be a global brand, but we will gradually add markets. The US market is important for us and we intend to enter when we see that we have a business case,’ he said.

NEVS also plans to build cars based on the Phoenix architecture developed by Saab before the automaker went bankrupt in 2011.

The platform will have to be modified to remove the 20% of parts sourced from former Saab owner General Motors, Oestlund said.

‘The Phoenix architecture is very flexible, and when fully developed, it will give us the opportunity to design and manufacture several models from smaller to bigger cars. We have not yet decided which models and we have no time plan – that is some years ahead,’ he said.

Oestlund added the 9-3 electric version will use batteries built by sister company Beijing National Battery Technology, which builds batteries for city buses.

NEVS and Beijing National Battery Technology are owned by Hong Kong National Modern Energy Holdings, which is run by Swedish-Chinese green energy entrepreneur Kai Johan Jiang.

NEVS plans to build 120,000 units of the 9-3 a year by 2016. That target would come close to the brand’s 2006 peak of 133,000 autos.

(Source: Automotive News Europe, 21 st August 2013)

 

NVD WELCOMES THE RELAXING OF STRINGENT CABOTAGE RULES AROUND PEAK VEHICLE REGISTRATION PERIODS.

FROM THIS Sunday cabotage restrictions will be temporarily relaxed for transporters from other European Union member states carrying complete cars and vans.

According to the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders it is estimated that approximately 400,000 new cars and vans are registered in both March and September in the UK. These two months collectively account for more than one third of the UK’s new vehicle registrations.

News that cabotage regulations are to be relaxed next month is particularly welcomed by NVD who currently operate some 30 trucks in the UK.

Under a new policy which has been adopted by UK Ministers, cabotage restrictions will be temporarily relaxed for car transporters carrying complete cars and vans between February 22nd to March 31st and August 25th to September 30th each year.

This revised policy is expected to relieve vehicle logistics capacity shortages during these months by allowing  foreign trucks to make unlimited numbers of deliveries

Usual cabotage restrictions limited all Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) to no more than three loaded operations across the UK within seven days of a laden arrival in another EU country. This regulation meant that a truck entering a country carrying goods is permitted to make up to three deliveries within a week of having crossed the border. For the truck to continue performing operations in that country, it would have to cross another border and return again carrying cargo.

According to Ray MacDowell Vehicle Delivery Services’ Chairman of ECM, the UK’s largest privately owned car carrier, the government’s decision is a ‘victory for common sense’.

He commented that sourcing sufficient capacity in the UK alone to cope with the registration peaks was just not feasible, particularly since many British carriers have gone out of business in recent years.

During the short periods of cabotage relaxation, there will be no requirement for the vehicle to enter the UK carrying goods, and no limits on the number of operations that may be undertaken there.