Nissan invests $303M in production system for electric-vehicle age

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Nissan is investing $303 million US in its flagship auto plant in Japan’s Tochigi prefecture in a first rollout of a production system geared toward electric vehicles.

Nissan executive vice-president Hideyuki Sakamoto said Thursday that manufacturing methods must change because vehicles increasingly have both hybrid and electric engines and new parts for connectivity and artificial intelligence services.

Sakamoto said the production changes, set to be completed next year, use robotics and sensors to decrease physical stress on assembly-line workers. They are tailored for a workforce increasingly manned by senior workers and women.

Among the innovations for Nissan’s so-called “intelligent factory” is a powertrain mounting system that allows at least 27 configurations to be installed in one procedure.

The parts, including the battery for electric vehicles, are put together on one “pallet,” or foundation unit, for easier installing into the vehicle.

Another innovation involves programming a worker’s craftsmanship into robotics. The moves are so finely tuned in the automated sealing process that the delicate angles and touches of a human worker are duplicated.

The advantage to such a system is that a robot’s work is consistent and tireless, maintaining the quality of craftsmanship, according to Nissan.

“The competitiveness of an automaker lies in production, as well as design and technology development,” Sakamoto told reporters.

Auto production has remained basically the same since the early 1900s. But vehicles are becoming more complex, as driver-support technology, hybrid systems and various batteries must be fitted in, depending on the vehicle, Sakamoto said.