Japanese legacy automaker Nissan announced plans to accelerate production of its inaugural electric SUV at the new Intelligent Factory line in the Tochigi plant, Automotive News reports.
Progress
The production ramp-up at the high-tech manufacturing line is apparently part of Nissan’s efforts to make up for the initial two years of slow production for the all-electric Ariya crossover. According to Nissan’s Tochigi plant manager’s remarks on a factory tour last week, the Intelligent Factory is finally operating smoothly.
“It’s underutilized — we have more capacity.”
Nissan’s Tochigi plant manager, Eiji Kikuchi
Kikuchi further noted that the Intelligent Factory line has started to operate at two-thirds capacity.
Nissan Ariya’s production background
Nissan unveiled the Ariya EV in 2020, joining the inaugural Leaf EV in the brand’s electric vehicle lineup. The company initially planned to launch the model in 2021, but it faced a one-year delay due to the global semiconductor shortage amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2021, Nissan kicked off the Ariya’s production at the new Intelligent Factory. However, it only managed to produce 27,600 units as of the end of the fiscal year, concluding on March 31. Of that total, its global deliveries reached nearly 17,000 units.
In a significant development, Nissan Ariya’s production capacity surged to 26,900 in the April to October period alone. Meanwhile, sales totaled to 23,800 units.
Finally, the Intelligent Factory’s operation starts to speed up as the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are alleviated globally.
About the Intelligent Factory
Electrek reported that Nissan initially introduced the Intelligent Factory line at the existing Tochigi facility in 2021. The Japanese automaker expects that the advanced technologies and new techniques of the new production line can cut production costs by 10% compared to traditional manufacturing techniques.
That said, it further aims to expand the high-tech production line to its other car factories, including the new Canton factory in Mississippi. Nissan’s executive vice president, Hideyuki Sakamoto, reportedly told local publication Nikkei that the automaker aims to launch the Intelligent Factory production systems in five plants globally by the end of the decade to support the manufacturing of new models.
Notably, the company’s investment reached $500 million to advance the factory as “North America’s electrification hub.” The factory is set to build two electric Nissan and Infiniti sedans and crossovers by 2026.
Nissan Ariya’s specs
For those interested, here are the key specifications of the 2023 Nissan Ariya EV (via Edmunds):
| Overview | |
| Engine Type | Electric |
| Transmission | 1-speed direct drive |
| Drive Type | Front wheel drive |
| Total Seating | 5 |
| Basic Warranty | 3 yr./ 36,000 mi. |
| EV Battery Warranty | 8 yr./ 100,000 mi. |
| Battery & Range | |
| Fuel type | Electric |
| EPA city/highway MPGe | 109/94 MPGe |
| EPA combined MPGe | 101 MPGe |
| EPA electricity range | 216 mi. |
| EPA kWh/100 mi | 33 |
| EPA time to charge battery (at 240V) | 10.0 hr. |
| Battery capacity | 66 kWh |
| Fast-charge port type | SAE Combo |
| Engine | |
| Base engine type | Electric |
| Horsepower | 214 hp |
| Torque | 221 lb-ft |
| Towing & Hauling | |
| Max Payload Capacity | 990 lbs. |
| Drivetrain | |
| Transmission | 1-speed direct drive |
| Drive type | Front wheel drive |
| Suspension | |
| Four-wheel independent suspension | Standard |
| Front and rear stabilizer bar | Standard |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 182.9 in. |
| Overall width without mirrors | 74.8 in. |
| Height | 65.4 in. |
| Wheelbase | 109.3 in. |
| EPA interior volume | 124.0 cu.ft. |
| Cargo capacity, all seats in place | 22.8 cu.ft. |
| Maximum cargo capacity | 59.7 cu.ft. |
| Turning circle | 35.4 ft. |
| Ground clearance | 6.3 in. |
| Angle of approach | 17.6 degrees |
| Angle of departure | 23.6 degrees |
| Curb weight | 4,323 lbs. |
| Maximum payload | 990 lbs. |
| Gross weight | 5,313 lbs. |
| Country of final assembly | Japan |
Nissan continues to catch up in the electric vehicle industry by previewing several model concepts in the past few months. It announced plans to launch a next-gen Leaf EV along with the electric Juke and Qashqai models at the Sunderland factory in the UK. Nissan expects to officially debut the new Leaf EV sometime in 2024.
