The Hiroshima plant where Mazda manufactures its so-called ‘Skyactiv’ low emissions four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines is to have a 200,000 unit capacity expansion.
The factory, which is currently building some 800,000 units annually, is now scheduled to be building a million units by the end of 2014. Mazda says the move is being made in response to rising global sales of its vehicles.
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The first engine to be branded with the Skyactiv-G name was fitted to a Mazda Demio for the Japanese market back in June 2011. Diesels followed from January 2012.
As part of the expansion, a highly versatile new engine machining line will be installed in the existing plant. In addition, an assembly line which until now has been used exclusively to produce inline four-cylinder engines (MZR1.8L-2.5L) will be revamped to allow mixed production with Skyactiv engines.
Mazda is working towards a target of lifting global sales to 1.7 million units. This, it hopes to achieve by the end of its 2015-2016 fiscal year (31 March 2016). Eighty percent of those vehicles are expected to be powered by Skyactiv technology. Such engines are currently manufactured at the Hiroshima Plant and at Changan Ford Mazda Engine Co., Ltd., where production began in June of 2013. In addition, the engines will be produced at Mazda Motor Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V. starting in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ending 31 March 2014.
Author: Glenn Brooks
