Mitsubishi to double annual production at China plants

Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors plans to double its annual production capacity of engines to 420,000 in Shenyang, the capital city of northeast China’s Liaoning province, according to a report in the Beijing Morning Post. The new engine plant in Shenyang is expected to export 40% of its products mainly to Japan and Europe. A senior official with Mitsubishi disclosed that the company has the plan to increase production capacity by a big margin of its two engine joint venture plants in China. Mitsubishi began making engines in China in 2000 and last year produced a total of 160,000 engines, of which 70% were supplied to BYD Auto, GEELY and other automakers in China. (May 15, 2008)