Nissan plans to halve new model development costs by 2005

Nissan Motor has declared its intention to halve new model development costs within two years, partly by cutting its Japanese vehicle platforms by two thirds from 15 to 5, and also by halving the time taken to bring new models into production. Besides sharing platform development costs with Nissan's partner Renault, cost shaving techniques will include programming assembly robotics systems to work on an infinite number of different models.

A Nissan spokesperson says current average new model developments cost some Y3 billion ($27 million) each, and accordingly, that more flexible systems deployed with one third of the firm's present platform numbers will reduce total development costs by tens of billions of Yen. Nissan aims to deploy its flex systems across its 18 assembly lines worldwide, including its UK plant at Sunderland. (Source: autoactu.com)