Nissan is among the largest automakers in Japan; its vehicle production business is a significant contributor to the world's economy. The company's plants in Japan and elsewhere produce a wide range of vehicles, from small passenger cars to large commercial trucks. Nissan's Japanese plants are some of the most efficient and productive in the world; they have played a significant role in making Nissan a global leader in vehicle manufacturing. Nissan vehicle production in Japan has prospered in recent years, expanding its sales and earning accolades across the world.
In 2017, the company produced a total of 974,000 vehicles, up from 909,000 in 2016. The primary drivers of this growth have been the popularity of the company's SUVs and crossovers in Japan and the strong demand for Nissan Leaf electric cars. Nissan's SUV and crossover models have been top-rated in Japan, with the Nissan Rogue, X-Trail, and Murano all selling well.
As noted, the company's electric car, the Nissan Leaf, has been in high demand, with over 20,000 units sold in 2017. Nissan is expected to continue with strong demand for its vehicles in Japan. The company plans to introduce new models in the coming years, including a new SUV and electric car. With its robust lineup of vehicles, Nissan is well-positioned to continue its growth in Japan. Further, Nissan has various factories world, including in the United States.
This Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, ranks among the world's most prominent car production facilities. Highlights include a line that produces 350,000 vehicles per year and a plant consisting of 124 buildings and 15 miles (24 km) of conveyor belts. As the world's first billion-dollar car manufacturing facility, the plant became the greatest export factory due to its high productivity, low labour costs and highly skilled workforce. Also, this is one of the largest auto plants in the United States. The company currently employs thousands of workers. The plant has produced over 60 million vehicles for customers throughout the world. The factory has built millions of cars in Tennessee since production began in 1983.
The Smyrna assembly plant employs workers who produce about 150,000 vehicles annually. It was built on the former site of a Ford plant and is owned and operated by Nissan. The original Nissan plant is located in Yokosuka Industrial Sub-Center, Yokosuka, Japan. It was built in 1983 and opened in 1984. The factory produces the Navara, Versa, Qashqai and Leaf. The Nissan assembly plant expanded operations in 1986; it currently produces over 350,000 vehicles annually.
The plant is so massive that it houses 13 separate production lines; one for small vehicles, two for large models, and seven auxiliary lines. The Nissan vehicle assembly plant is primarily a production plant for the Nissan brand, which produces vehicles and components for General Motors, Daimler AG, BMW, Renault-Nissan Alliance and Mitsubishi Motors. It has an output of 280,000 automobiles per year.
Interestingly, the Nissan vehicle assembly plant is probably the largest facility by volume of any automaker in the world. The establishment includes building several taxiways and supporting structures. It has its own independent power grid with redundant infrastructure that allows for uninterrupted production flow during emergencies. The plant is located in the northern part of Nissan's global manufacturing base and was originally opened in 1989. In 1992, the first model engineered and produced by Nissan within this facility was launched at the E23 Frontier.
The establishment was initially built by Nissan and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to provide a reliable and efficient vehicle production facility that could supply the growing demand for Japanese cars in southeast Asia. Previously, vehicles were imported from Japan; alternatively, the parts made in Japan were used in assembling vehicles at factories located throughout Asia. In 2000, Nissan began producing vehicles there with the introduction of the first-generation Nissan Serena sedan.
The thrill of visiting Nissan's vehicle assembly plant and getting to see the Nissan Leaf Prototypes on display is a rare opportunity for visitors to come together with like-minded people and experience something unique. There's an excellent video of the Nissan vehicle assembly plant operations in Smyrna, Tennessee. The factory is working on the next generation of Nissan cars, which will soon be on the market.