Nissan celebrates 30 years of UK production as they announce production figures from the UK.

• Nissan UK production above 500,000 vehicles in 30^th anniversary year
• New records for all-electric LEAF and 2^nd generation Qashqai
• New export routes launched from Sunderland to USA and China

Nissan recorded a significant 30^th anniversary in the UK in 2016, with output of more than 500,000 vehicles, cementing its position as the largest British car plant in history, and major investments pointing the way to further growth.

Production in Sunderland of 507,430 vehicles last year was the second highest total in the plant’s history. Highlights included record volumes of the all-electric LEAF and the 2^nd generation Qashqai, with the original crossover now made on both production lines for the first time.

And 2017 is set to be another big year for Nissan in Sunderland. Total volume at the plant is now approaching 9m since the first car rolled off the line in 1986. 

Other milestones on the horizon include the launch of a refreshed Qashqai, and the introduction of Autonomous Drive technology.

Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan Divisional Vice President, European Manufacturing, said: “Since the birth of our factory three decades ago, North East England has become one of the major international automotive centres. 

Britain is now home to Nissan’s best-selling and most technologically-advanced models in Europe, covering our market-leading crossover range, the world’s best-selling electric vehicle and two premium models for global export.

“This has been achieved through hard work, innovative thinking, ingenuity and strong partnerships with forward-thinking local companies. 

With future models secured and new facilities in development, congratulations to all of my colleagues in Sunderland and across the UK on another great year.”

Following the start of production of the Infiniti Q30 in late 2015, a second Infiniti model, the QX30, went into production for global markets in 2016 – which also represented the first time vehicles have been exported from Sunderland to the USA and China.

Other highlights in 2016 included the installation of 19,000 new solar panels alongside the plant’s existing 10 wind turbines, taking the contribution of renewables to 7% of the plant’s total electricity requirements.

Last year also saw the number of children to have taken part in the Nissan Skills Foundation go past 18,000, covering workshops, competitions and practical activities which use motorsports, electric vehicles and Nissan’s manufacturing prowess to inspire the engineers and manufacturers of the future.

Looking ahead, new facilities under development at the company’s Sunderland plant include a new £37m Extra Large Press line, due to start production in the coming weeks. Other investment announced in 2016 includes the £22m Qashqai capacity expansion and £26.5m in manufacturing a future generation of electric vehicle (EV) batteries in the UK.

In addition to the company’s £3bn annual injection into the British economy through suppliers, services and wages, £650m ongoing investment in new facilities and future models in Sunderland will take the total capital investment by Nissan in the plant since it opened to beyond £4bn.

Nissan’s continuing investment in the UK has been supported by several previously announced UK Government grants for innovation and energy efficiency projects, including future-generation EV batteries (£7.1m).

Employment in Nissan’s UK design studio (Paddington, London), technical centre (Cranfield Bedfordshire), manufacturing plant (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear) and sales and marketing operations (Maple Cross, Hertfordshire) now totals more than 8,000. A further 28,000 jobs in Nissan’s UK supply chain and 4,000 in its UK dealer network takes the total British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 40,000.

New models on the horizon for Sunderland include three next-generation crossover models, building on Nissan’s leadership in the segment. Not only have the future Juke and Qashqai been secured for UK production, but an additional model, the X-Trail, will in future be made in the UK for the first time.

Having played a crucial role in the development of the current models, the teams in Nissan’s European Design Centre in Paddington, London and European Technical Centre in Cranfield, Bedfordshire, will be instrumentally involved in the development of these new pioneering crossovers.

Skoda celebrates as it hits the 18 million mark, and this will grow quicker in the future.

• Superb Estate is ŠKODA’s 18 millionth car produced since 1905.
• Kvasiny production facility undergoing extensive investment and expansion.
• Production capacity will increase to 280,000 vehicles annually and create up to 1,300 new jobs. 

ŠKODA AUTO has manufactured its 18 millionth vehicle since the company first started building cars in 1905.

The car – a ŠKODA Superb Estate in Candy-White – rolled off the production line at the firm’s Kvasiny plant in the Czech Republic. ŠKODA CEO Bernhard Maier, ŠKODA Board Member for Production Michael Oeljeklaus and the Chairman of the Trade Union KOVO, Jaroslav Povšík were there for the occasion.

Visiting the facility for the first time since his appointment in November 2015, Maier said; “Kvasiny is a production site with a great tradition and an outstanding team. You immediately sense the enthusiasm with which people carry out their tasks here. 

This is where automobile construction is lived, and implemented to an exemplary quality and efficiency. Today we have 18 million reasons to be proud of our employees’ performance. Without them, the success of the ŠKODA brand would be unimaginable.”

“Producing 18 million vehicles is an enormously high number,” said Jaroslav Povšík. “This milestone is an impressive demonstration of the skill our colleagues at ŠKODA have in car construction, and their great dedication to the company’s success over the past 120 years.”

The Kvasiny plant is currently undergoing extensive modernisation and expansion, and in future the production capacity of the facility will increase to 280,000 vehicles annually, creating up to 1,300 new jobs in the process.

Michael Oeljeklaus said “Over the last five years, we have significantly increased the number of high-quality vehicles produced worldwide. The ŠKODA plants in the Czech Republic have made a significant contribution to this. This is the heart of our international production network. Since 1991, we have invested more than 300 billion crowns into modernizing and expanding our production facilities in the Czech Republic.”

A new pilot hall was opened during the visit to Kvasiny and 50 ŠKODA employees started work there that same day. Here the local team receives the first technical information some three years before series production of a ŠKODA model begins and analyses and evaluates that data to optimise processes before production starts.

Kvasiny is one of ŠKODA’s three production sites in the Czech Republic. In addition to the ŠKODA Yeti, the Superb and Superb Estate currently run off the production lines there. The production of ŠKODA’s SUV models will also play an important role at the location in the future.

Around 150,000 ŠKODA vehicles were produced at the Kvasiny plant in 2015 and 4,500 people are currently employed at the site, making it one of the largest industrial employers in the Hradec Králové region. In 1895, Mladá Boleslav became the foundation for ŠKODA’s success story and 52 years later the Kvasiny plant was established as a second important production site in former Czechoslovakia.

Selected milestones in ŠKODA AUTO’s manufacturing history:

• 19 January 2016: 18 million ŠKODA cars produced since 1905
• 24 November 2015: 12 million ŠKODA cars produced at the Mladá Boleslav plant
• 10 December 2014: ŠKODA manufactures the 1 millionth vehicle in 2014 – the first time the company had produced one million vehicles in a single year
• 19 March 2014: 11 million ŠKODA cars produced at the Mladá Boleslav plant
• 26 August 2013: 4 million ŠKODA Octavias produced
• 9 July 2013: 1 Million ŠKODA vehicles in China since 2007
• 5 February 2013: 15 million ŠKODA vehicles since 1905
• 30 January 2012: 14 million ŠKODA vehicles since 1905
• 12 October 2011: 10 million ŠKODA vehicles at the Mladá Boleslav plant
• 8 April 2009: 12 million ŠKODA vehicles since 1905
• 13 July 2006: 10 million ŠKODA vehicles since 1905
• 1991: 5 million ŠKODA vehicles since 1905

Jaguar Land Rover takes teh title as the UK's biggest producer of cars topping half a million for the first time.

• Jaguar Land Rover becomes Britain’s largest automotive manufacturer
• Firm’s three UK manufacturing plants break the 500,000 production milestone in 2015
• Company’s UK production output more than trebles since 2009
• Growth is driven by unprecedented investment in new products and UK manufacturing plants to meet global consumer demand.
• Jaguar Land Rover’s growth sees UK workforce more than double to 35,000 in 5 years

Jaguar Land Rover has become the largest automotive manufacturer in Britain. The news follows today’s announcement from the SMMT that UK car manufacturing has had its best year in a decade producing 1,587,677 vehicles in 2015.  Jaguar Land Rover produced more than 500,000 cars and commercial vehicles at its three vehicle manufacturing plants in Solihull, Birmingham and Liverpool.

Under Tata Ownership, the company has seen a dramatic transformation in its business since 2009 when total annual production stood at 158,000 units. Since that time, Jaguar Land Rover has become the fastest growing UK automotive manufacturer with annual output rising by almost 70% thanks to more than £11bn of R&D investment to create an expanded and enhanced range from the two iconic British marques. In 2015 alone, Jaguar and Land Rover brought 11 new and refreshed cars to market, including the Jaguar XE and XF and the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The news of Jaguar Land Rover’s achievement can also be attributed to the company’s unwavering commitment to its three British vehicle manufacturing plants which have each welcomed considerable investment to drive up capacity, capability and quality*. In addition, the company has invested £1bn in a state-of-the-art Engine Manufacturing Centre to build the high technology, low emissionIngenium engine. Together these facilities have created more than 10,000 manufacturing jobs in just 5 years, with the overall UK workforce more than doubling to 35,000.

Jaguar Land Rover's Executive Director of Manufacturing, Wolfgang Stadler said “Britain is the beating heart of our business, so becoming the country’s largest vehicle manufacturer is a remarkable achievement, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to the UK manufacturing sector.

“2015 was a challenging year for the industry against a backdrop of socio economic instability, but it is a testament to our strong product range and dedicated team of employees that Jaguar Land Rover has delivered year on year growth, with more exciting products to come.”

Jaguar Land Rover, who was last week named the best place to work in Britain by Bloomberg, delivered record sales in its home market in 2015 with over 100,000 vehicles registered for the first time in its history. This strong performance was also reflected in the US, where Land Rover was named the fastest growing car brand in the country. More than 80% of Jaguar Land Rover’s UK based production is exported to over 160 markets and this year the company will see further new products including the Jaguar F-PACE and Range Rover Evoque Convertible hit its global network of retailers.

It is the increasing global demand for its products that has seen Jaguar Land Rover announce plans to expand its international manufacturing footprint to support sustainable global growth. But with plans to invest a further £3bn in its products and facilities in the 2015/16 fiscal year, such as, the expansion of its Whitley and Gaydon R&D centres, the UK remains at the very heart of Jaguar Land Rover’s business.