Nissan Australia will be a vital supplier for the Japanese giant’s electric vehicle onslaught.
Nissan has confirmed eight new electric vehicles are under development across its three brands – Nissan, Renault and Infiniti – and Nissan Australia’s Dandenong, Victoria aluminium casting plant has won crucial component supply contracts already estimated to be worth more than $160-million.
Nissan Casting Australia will supply four high quality cast aluminium components – an inverter case, inverter water jacket, water jacket cover and as yet un-named item. Currently the plant is operating three shifts, seven days per week, producing around two million aluminium components which are shipped to Nissan plants in Japan, Thailand, Mexico and North America.
Securing the electric car contracts is a major boost for Nissan Casting as not so long ago the future of the plant and its 100 workers was under a cloud – despite its 30 year history of local manufacturing. The contracts were awarded to Nissan Australia despite fierce competition from rival companies in countries such as China and India.
As part of the deal, Nissan will invest $21-million to upgrade the Dandenong facility with some financial support from both the federal and Victorian State Governments.
“The future for Australian automotive manufacturing, and of environmentally responsible private transport, is very bright and very much part of the fututre for all of us,” explained Nissan Australia CEO, Dan Thompson. “Australia has shown it can compete with the world’s leading low cost countries in technology, cost leadership and quality.”
