Nissan is expected to launch its first test course outside of Japan next to a planned second Thai production plant in Samut Prakan by mid-year, the Bangkok Post reports.
“The Thailand Proving Ground will be the hub of Southeast Asia, which is the base of Nissan Technical Centre. It will help to reduce shipping costs significantly, as all new models have to be shipped to be tested in Japan,” said Takayuki Kimura, president of Nissan Motor Thailand.
Presently, Nissan operates three proving grounds in Japan, namely in Tochigi, Kanagawa (pictured) and Hokkaido. We also know of a Nissan proving ground in the desert of Arizona, USA, so the first overseas test course claim is questionable. Doesn’t change the fact that it’s a big deal, though.
Last year, Nissan announced plans to build an 11 billion baht factory adjacent to its existing one in Samut Prakan. The 24,000 square metre facility will include a production line, R&D centre and the proving ground.
The plant will have a production capacity of 75,000 vehicles a year when it starts operating in August 2014, eventually doubling to 150,000 units. Nissan’s existing factory makes 220,000 cars a year now. Once the second plant is running at full capacity, Nissan Thailand will have an annual production capacity of 370,000 vehicles.
Kimura said that Nissan plans to sell 500,000 vehicles in the Asean region in its fiscal year 2016, which will equate to more than 15% market share. For fiscal year 2012, the company sold 260,000 vehicles in our region for a market share of 7.2%.
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Because opening a test track in Malaysia is too mainstream…..
I thought they have one in Segambut?
Or is that Tan Chong’s one?
If we did not have Proton, this plant along with other brands, could be in Malaysia
Or could be in Indon?
Malaysia boleh, with protective car policy in Malaysia, more plants were opened in Thailand, to protect cronies we lost job opportunities, taxable revenues to Thailand.
Even without the protection, do you think we are better than Thai? Who’s more hardworking? Cronies just made us double worst, won’t be able to compete at all, not attractive at all for investment.
Well done government of malaysia.
Thailand already makes more cars annually than us. So does Indonesia.
Still holding on to the NAP are we?
Job opportunities and taxable revenue only?
Actually its even worst than that. Making cars is one thing, don’t forget the parts industries that the automakers depend on. How about logistics. How about financial institution that funds and credits such businesses.
How about the investments in human capital in form of on the job training.
I don’t mind having home grown industries like Proton around. But it goes awry when you have to protect it at the expense of the entire industry. And why are we still giving away free APs other than enriching a few people without any value added?
Now Thailand is going to be one of the largest car maker in Asia! A lot of car company like to invest in Thailand but here….
here car companies come to die.. slowly..
You dolts are really dumbasses or nitwits or all three combined.
Have you been to Thailand, I mean..really drive thru and live and stay in Thailand???? It’s a CHEAP country to live. Outside of BKK, drive up to Chiangrai/Chiengmai….or the roads to Cambodia’s border???? You’d need tyres with massive sidewalls to be comfortable!
Labour is cheap. Very cheap. And that’s why major manufacturers set up their plants there. From cars to Nikons to Canon etc…
Complaint…complaint…complaint. You think by having all the major car plants in MY means we bagus ka???? Doesn’t mean crap if the country’s GDP ain’t up to scratch. If you morons say MY is corrupted, try extrapolating times 3 to get a measure of the corruption in Thailand.
As for cronies…again…just work hard. Or get into politics and politicize hard. One day one of you idiots may just be a minister in MY. Definitely will give jobs to your close friends and companies. Why….Because you KNOW your friends and the companies. You trust them and they can be accountable if crap hits the fan. These friends of yours will then be termed ‘cronies’ by jealous idiots who only crave for cheap cars but refuse to work hard…or by spotty kids yet to undergo puberty and having parents driving made in MY cars who keeps slagging the cars that sends them to school.
This is a Car site. Any frickin’ moron talks about politics and such….go find MYkinidotcom whatever. Don’t like MYs policy…perghi beghambuih lagi baik.
“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please come out, open up your heart, and look at things in global perspective, look into the future, lookinto the country deficit, try to understand it…
LOL…maybe this dolt is not old enough to remember a time before Proton, or the NAP, or APs. or when cars were cheap and everyone was trying to build assembly plants here, starting with Volvo.
“Know your friends…cap hits the fan” ??? sounds like “you help me, I help me” don’t it?
Do you even know what GDP stands for? All the major plants here only means one thing, we produce more = more GDP.
LOL. Thanks for the laugh.