The “Re:Nissan” restoration plan, outlined a number of months in the past, consists of lowering the variety of manufacturing websites from 17 to 10. One of many factories slated for closure has now been recognized, with newly appointed CEO Ivan Espinosa calling it a “powerful however obligatory choice.” The Oppama Plant, situated within the Oppama district, will shut down after Japan’s fiscal 12 months 2027, which ends in March 2028.

Present fashions and upcoming autos initially deliberate for Oppama will as a substitute be assembled on the Kyushu web site. Nissan’s CEO admitted that “it wasn’t simple—for me or for the corporate” to shutter a plant that has been operational since 1961. Over the previous 64 years, greater than 17.8 million autos have rolled off its meeting line. The manufacturing facility presently builds the Observe and Observe Aura superminis, however beforehand produced the electrical Leaf hatchback, the quirky Dice, and the March (Micra). It initially assembled the Datsun Bluebird, a compact, rear-wheel-drive sedan.

Picture by: Nissan

Roughly 2,400 staff can be affected by the closure. The transfer is a part of a broader technique to cut back the worldwide workforce by 20,000 by the tip of FY2027. Not all job cuts will come from manufacturing, as some will stem from reductions in promoting, common, and administrative (SG&A) bills. Nissan additionally plans to cut back its analysis and improvement operations by shrinking its variety of automobile platforms from 13 to 7 and reducing components complexity by 70%. Closing the Oppama Plant is amongst a number of drastic measures geared toward lowering world manufacturing capability from 3.5 million to 2.5 million models.

To know the severity of the scenario at Nissan, take into account that some new mannequin applications have been paused to curb spending. A devoted crew of three,000 individuals is now centered completely on cost-cutting initiatives. There’s additionally a report about how the Yokohama headquarters could possibly be bought and leased again from the brand new proprietor.

As for the Oppama web site’s future, Nissan is evaluating a “big selection of choices.” The closure impacts solely the manufacturing facility, because the native analysis middle, crash check facility, proving floor, and 20,000-car wharf will proceed working as traditional.