Renault said its Batilly plant, which makes the large Renault-badged Master van plus variants for GM Europe’s Opel and Vauxhall brands, and Nissan Motor Europe, has broken a production record in 2015.
The plant achieved its highest-ever annual output of all brands combined – over 126,000 units. Master output alone was also a record 85,208 vehicles.
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The plant has long specialised in the manufacture of large vans for Renault and partners Nissan, General Motors and Renault Trucks. It produced 126,375 vans this year, beating its and broke its previous record in 2006 (123,202). The previous Master production record was in 2000 (82,121 units).
2015 production data
• Renault Master: 85,208 units
• General Motors: 21,702 units
• Renault Trucks: 12,500 units
• Nissan: 6,965 units
Producing Master for 35 years
The Batilly plant has been home to three generations of the Master and, this year, also celebrated its 35th year of producing the model. Over 2.2m have been made there since the plant was opened in 1980. On one Master leaves the assembly line every two minutes. With more than 3,000 employees, it is the biggest private employer in France’s Meurthe et Moselle department.
Renault makes its entire range of light commercial vehicles in France – compact Kangoo vans (including Mercedes-Benz variants built under contract to Daimler), and larger Trafic vans (the previous generation was also made at the GM van plant in Luton, England) are produced in the Maubeuge and Sandouville plants respectively.
Batilly daily production capacity is 640 vehicles and the plant buys from over 250 suppliers, over half of which are based in France. Engines for the Master are produced by Groupe Renault’s Cléon plant based in Normandy, which specialises in the production of high-tech powertrains.
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