Nissan is planning move production of the next generation Primastar commercial van from Spain to Renault’s Sandouville plant in France, a move that will help alliance partner Renault keep a pledge to raise domestic output in return for union concessions.
The Primastar commercial van will be assembled alongside Renault’s Trafic and a version of GM’s Opel Vivaro, which share the same platform and most parts, insiders told Reuters.
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Sources said the decision to pull Primastar out of Nissan’s Barcelona factory has already been made although there has been no official comment.
Reuters noted that Carlos Ghosn, who heads both companies, has promised to increase Renault’s French production by 100,000 vehicles for its own brand and 80,000 for Nissan and Daimler by 2016, in return for wage restraint and other union concessions.
Under Renault-Nissan’s three year old partnership with Daimler, Renault plants already build diesel engines for the German company as well as the Mercedes-Benz Citan delivery van spun off Renault’s Kangoo.
Jacques Verdonck, the alliance director in charge of cooperation with Daimler, told Reuters Renault’s Maubeuge plant is to build 40,000 Citans this year, contributing an increase of 26,000 vehicles over 2012 output towards Ghosn’s 80,000 target.
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By GlobalDataHowever, Daimler has said it had “reconsidered” tentative plans for a battery-powered Citan paired with Renault’s electric Kangoo.
“Right now we don’t see a need for an electric version of the Citan, after a close look at the business case and customer demand,” a Daimler spokesman told Reuters.
The larger Mercedes Vito has recorded fewer than 1,000 deliveries of an electric version launched in early 2011, suggesting low demand for a battery-powered Citan.
The Primastar’s move will follow the 2014 introduction of a new Renault Trafic – also being transferred to Sandouville from GM’s plant in Luton, England and Nissan’s Barcelona plant under previously announced plans.
