Nissan to speed up Chinese production

Japans Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. will speed up local production in China with the aim of lifting up its import substitution rate in the country to 90% in 2012. The company’s Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) seamless gearboxes will go into local production in the Chinese market in 2009 and its favorable VQ- series engines will start local production in 2010. Nissan Motor aims to let the sales volume of the CVT seamless gearboxes-equipped cars sold in China to account for about 50% of the total by 2012, said Dongfeng Nissan in its 2008-to-2012 development plan. It intends to lift the total number of its passenger car dealers nationwide to 420 by 2010 from 300 in 2007. It also wants to lift the number of its light commercial vehicle dealers as well as medium and heavy commercial vehicle dealers nationwide to 630 and 380, respectively by 2012 from 420 and 251 in 2007. In addition, it wants to increase the proportion of its export of light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles to more than 10% by 2012, from 5% in 2007. (July 8, 2008)