Celebrating 30 years in Brazil, Magneti Marelli has opened what it believes to be the local auto industry’s first ‘green buildings’ in Hortolândia, 70 miles (110km) from São Paulo City, to make a new generation fuel injector line.
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Despite the EUR40m investment, the opening was low-key; a fall in exports in recent weeks forced the company to sack 800 employees.
Besides a technical centre, the new building has begun production of a new generation of fuel injectors – called Pico Eco – for both petrol and flexible fuel engines. Initial capacity is 3m a year, with 20% for export.
Virgilio Cerutti, the new head of the company for Brazil and Mercosur, said: “The expected fuel saving is 3% and emissions of flexible fuel engines will drop by up to 20%”.
Magneti Marelli said a Brazilian automaker would start using the new technology in its engines next quarter. Fiat (with close to a 90% stake in MM) and Volkswagen are the main customers for the supplier’s fuel injection systems here.
Fernando Calmon
