Plants/Manufacturing auto news

Report: Honda projects 30 percent of motorcycle sales to come from India by 2020

Honda recently released its financial report for the the manufacturer's motorcycle division. Not surprisingly, two-wheel-friendly Asia accounted for a lofty 79 percent of the company's total sales in 2011. The entirety of North America, meanwhile, soaked up just 1.6 percent of the brand's total volume last year. What's more, Honda fully intends to expand its operations in the blooming Indian market. Until last year, Honda worked with Hero MotorCorp to sell its bikes in India. With the two entities officially split, the Japanese company reports it expects to see somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 percent of its sales come from the Indian market by 2020.

India boasts a population of 1.2 billion people, or around 17 percent of the world's population, making it the second-largest bike market globally. As of right now, Honda is working on chipping out a 20 percent share of that pie, which means it already dominates the country's motorcycle market as the largest foreign bike manufacturer.

Report: Nissan confirms next-gen Rogue will be built in Tennessee

Nissan is in the process of overhauling five of its most popular models, beginning with the 2013 Altima that just went into production at the automaker's Smyrna, Tennessee facility. Next up is the all-new Pathfinder, which made its debut in Detroit earlier this year, and now Kicking Tires reports that the smaller Rogue crossover will be the next vehicle to get a much-needed freshening.

Unlike the current model, the next-generation Rogue will be built in the United States, specifically in - you guessed it - Tennessee. That aside, we don't know much else about the next Rogue, though Nissan's Hi-Cross concept from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show (pictured) certainly gives us a good glimpse as to what's possible, at least in terms of design.

The Hi-Cross, a seven-seat crossover, featured a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine coupled to a hybrid powertrain and a continuously variable transmission. It's hard to say if this sort of powertrain will find its way into the new Rogue, though. Rumors had circulated for quite some time about the new Altima using a four-cylinder turbo setup, but the production car makes due with refreshed versions of the existing four- and six-cylinder engines.

Report: Chinese-market Land Rover Freelander and Range Rover Evoque to use Chery engines?

A couple of developments on the recent Jaguar/Land Rover joint venture are being reported in Chinese media based on a report in China's Economic Daily News. The 130,000-capacity factory planned for Jiangsu is epected to mint its first vehicle in 2014, with numbers given for the breakdown so far as: 43,000 Land Rover Freelander 2s, 34,000 Range Rover Evoque models (called the Aurora in China) and, according to Google Translate, "the joint venture brand vehicles of 23,000 Jaguar sedan."

We're not sure if that really means 23,000 Jags will be made, since that would be a six-fold multiplier of Jaguar's 2011 sales in China. The quoted Land Rover production would only be doubling its sales tally from 2011, even though the brand's sales were up 105 percent in Q1 of this year. There will be a separate joint-venture brand created between JLR and Chery as well, so that could be a part of it. Futher on, the plan is for the plant to expand to a capacity of 250,000 units.

More interestingly, the locally-made engines will be JLR's 3.0-liter V6 alongside two Chery motors, a 1.6-liter TGDI turbo and a 2.0-liter TGDI, with plans to "gradually introduce" the Chery engines into the Land Rovers. JLR engineers are said to be moving to China to continue joint development of the TGDI motors, which has apparently been ongoing. Until those are ready, JLR will import its 240-horsepower, 2.0-liter motor.

The report in China's 163.com is also interesting for the regulatory and business context it provides on the joint venture, with government rules mandating the minimum amount of investment and the establishment of R&D centers. The tie-up is said to be a boon to Chery's fortunes in light of the assertion that Chery's "operating conditions are not ideal" and that getting the "core technology" for its own brands had "become the top priority of the project approval." Official approval of the JV is expected later this year.

Official: Toyota boosting V6 production in Alabama, adding 125 jobs

Toyota's Huntsville, Alabama production facility, which makes the company's four-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines, is getting a couple of big boosts: $80 million and roughly 125 new jobs. When the spending and hiring is complete, the enlarged factory and the plant's 1,150 workers will raise engine-production capacity to more than 700,000 units, with V6 production more than doubled from 146,000 engines per year to 362,000.

Toyota's been spending and hiring all this year, with $645 million invested in growth and 1,100 jobs added to the rolls. "This V6 line addition," said a company EVP, "continues to reflect our growing optimism for an improving North American market." Toyota's press release is posted below.

Continue reading Toyota boosting V6 production in Alabama, adding 125 jobs

Report: Volvo XC90 to become Geely

Volvo recently unveiled yet another model year of the impossibly old XC90 - promised to be the final one before a complete redesign. But the overripe vintage of the first SUV to fall from Volvo's vine isn't stopping corporate parent Geely from absconding with the platform to launch a new high-end brand for China.

According to China Car Times, Volvo's new XC90 will be launching in 2014, and after that the original will soldier on in China, at least in some form. The report does not make clear whether the first-generation XC90 will merely be re-badged, or if the platform will be used for a new Geely design.

Geely launched its first SUV, the GX7, at this year's Beijing Auto Show, according to the report.

Report: Leaked Fisker Atlantic documents reveal big production delay, specs

The Fisker Atlantic extended-range plug-in vehicle will start production about a year after its previously estimated mid-2013 date, Inside EVs blog reports, citing leaked company documents that were dated "a few weeks ago."

The Atlantic, formerly known as Project Nina, will compete pricewise against the BMW 3 Series and 5 Series sedans, as well as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and E-Class, Jaguar XF and Audi A4 and A6. That would put the model in the $50,000 to $60,000 range, according to the publication. The model, which will still be produced at Fisker's Delaware plant, will have 300 horsepower, a 0-60 time of 6.5 seconds and emissions of 50 grams per kilometer of CO2, Inside EVs reports, citing the documents.

"As these documents are obviously leaked investor documents and highly confidential, I am not prepared to comment any further," a Fisker representative tells Autoblog sister site, AutoblogGreen.

The status of the Atlantic has been in question since plans for the former General Motors plant in Delaware were put on hold once the U.S. Department of Energy froze most of the $529 million in loans earmarked for the California-based company.

Fisker unveiled the Atlantic at the New York Auto Show last month, saying that the car's price tag would be "a much lower price point" than Fisker's Karma sedan.

Report: Chery requests Chinese approval of $1.9B joint venture with Jaguar Land Rover

A month ago, Jaguar Land Rover signed a joint-venture agreement with China's Chery Automobile Company. JLR's 12.1 billion yuan ($1.9 billion U.S.) investment, if approved, will pay for a plant in Changsu to build Jaguars, Land Rovers, engines and joint-venture models. The facility will also house a research and development center. Chery has submitted the paperwork to clear the deal with the Chinese government. The agreement must pass muster with the Ministry of Enviroment Protection, after which it will go to the National Development and Reform Commission.

When the agreement was first inked an Indian analyst said, "it will be some time before we see the results," a nod to the fact that government approvals can take a long time. Subaru is an instructive example, having signed an agreement with Chery a year ago. Sources said the deal was ready to be approved last November, but that was the last that has been heard of it - it's still waiting on the necessary signatures.

But JLR has the long view in mind: it sold 38,890 vehicles in China last year - all imported - a figure representing double-digit sales gains for both brands. The proposed factory will have a capacity of 130,000 units, providing a healthy buffer in case the bureaucracy sits on things.

Report: Ford finally takes serious aim at the Chinese market

When we asked Volkswagen last year why it was building a factory in the U.S., after having missed the irrationally volcanic era of car sales, we were told that even a 12-million-per-annum market was still too big to ignore. A report in Reuters paints Ford's situation in China somewhat the same way: Ford is only now attacking the Chinese market, building plants and increasing local capacity there, after numerous other players have established their positions.

Nevertheless, there's still much to play for. Whereas our market is expected to hang around in the 12- to 15-million-unit range, China's market is predicted to hit 30 million cars per year by 2020. Said one analyst, "People are saying the Asia Pacific auto industry by 2020 is half the world's industry." A little piece of China's colossal market will, anywhere else, still be considered a pretty big piece of pie.

After years of false starts and missteps in The Middle Kingdom, Ford sells six cars in China now, but they weren't developed for the Chinese market and haven't taken off with buyers there. Over the next three years Ford intends to introduce 15 more cars, many of them SUVs, and 20 engines to the Chinese market that can make better impressions on the locals.

That won't put it anywhere close to market leaders General Motors - which already sells 35 cars there and is lining up 60 more models, and has the preeminient Buick brand - or Volkswagen. But even the 3.1 percent share that one analyst predicted was in Ford's reach by 2020, up from 2.8 percent now, will be enough to turn Ford's currently desultory Chinese-market profits into something like a $700-million spigot once its production and offerings are stabilized.

Ford is investing $600 million and $760 million in two projects with its JV partner Changan Ford Mazda Automobile to expand capacity to 1.5 million autos per year. At the moment, The Blue Oval has no plans to take Lincoln across the Pacific.

Report: Toyota, Honda top supplier survey with lower results, GM and Chrysler improve

Before financial Stargate opened in September of 2008 and transported us to an entirely new economic dimension, it was oh so common to read about domestic automakers hammering Tier One suppliers to lower their prices. Of course, suppliers are still asked to find efficiencies, but pre-2008, it seemed a point of honor to hold a supplier's feet to the fire. No more: in the latest Working Relations Index survey of suppliers by Detroit firm Planning Perspectives Inc., General Motors and Chrysler rocketed up the charts to bring the bunch much closer together.

Admittedly, the two companies are still in last place, with GM just ahead of Chrysler and Toyota and Honda still up top. But perspective and improvement is the issue here: in 2005, Toyota scored 415 and GM scored 114. In this year's survey, Toyota scored 296 and Chrysler scored 248. It is the first time in the 12 years of the survey that the six automakers covered have been separated by less than 50 points. Chrysler's jump was led by the efforts of the the late Dan Knott, whle GM's improvement has been led by Bob Socia.

And yes, this is also a matter of the perennial leaders, Toyota and Honda, suffering a dip: in 2010 Toyota scored 327 and Honda 309, two years later, Toyota has dropped 31 points. Every automaker, however, from top to bottom acknowledged that they still have work to do with supplier relations. The benefits of good feelings are that suppliers tend to present their newest tech to, and make better parts for, the automakers with whom they have the best relationships. Naturally, it has been found that the reverse is true as well.

Nissan and Ford make up the middle two spots, where they've been for years. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Hyundai aren't on the list yet; PPI feels it doesn't have enough data on the Germans to yet to officially include them, and it doesn't have enough data on Hyundai to rank it at all. If the data gathered on the Germans was included, though, they would sandwich the rest of the field: BMW and Mercedes at the top, Volkswagen at the bottom a point shy of Chrysler.

Official: 2013 Nissan Altima production kicks off in Smyrna, aims to pass Camry for #1

"We are ready to make this car the top seller if the customer agrees."

Nissan has big plans for the fifth-generation Altima, which was the number-two selling car in the United States in 2011. The company is adding a third shift at Smyna, and shifting models around between this plant and its Canton, Mississippi plant with an eye toward the Altima passing the Toyota Camry as the top-selling model in America.

Toyota sold 308,510 Camrys last year, compared with Nissan's 268,981 Altimas.

"We haven't built and designed this car the way we have, and made all these changes with a goal of being number-two," said Nissan Americas vice chairman Bill Krueger. Krueger admits that the consumer will vote on whether the Altima becomes the top selling car. "But we are ready to make this car the top seller if the customer agrees."

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam chimed in on the rivalry. "We are going to give the folks down in Georgetown [Kentucky] a serious run for the money," said Haslam, speaking of Toyota's plant in the neighboring state.

Nissan definitely has the capacity to pass the Camry, as it builds Altimas at two plants.

Nissan built 570,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year and is adding a third shift to Smyrna. Nissan executives, however, won't pinpoint what total capacity is for Smyrna and Canton for competitive reasons. But it definitely has the capacity to pass the Camry's sales, as it builds Altimas at both plants.

Driving impressions of the 2013 Altima are embargoed until May 25, but we are allowed to tell you about a new feature we think is pretty cool. The tire pressure monitoring system not only tells the driver specifically what tire is low, but when you inflate each tire to the ideal, manufacturer-specified level, the car's horn sounds. Pretty neat, huh?.