Last month’s earthquake in Japan affected production at PSA-Peugeot Citroen’s Vigo factory where approximately 6,000 cars were ‘lost’, according to union officials. However, at rival GM, all is proceeding well, they added.
Their comments come as PSA two weeks ago announced production was back to normal but acknowledged delivery interruptions from key Japanese supplier Hitachi disrupted the production of 6,000 cars here in Spain in the past few weeks. It added more delays could stem from problems at Hitachi’s own suppliers.
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For now, however, the M1 and M2 lines are functioning normally and the factory should meet production counts this week, a union official said.
“For the next few days we think things go well but it’s hard to know what’s going to happen in coming weeks,” he warned. “We have several dozen suppliers in Japan.”
Vigo ended 2010 with a 4.5% production hike to 400,000 units on the back of rising demand from key markets in Germany and France where it exports 80% of its output. The increase helped generate more automotive jobs in the northern Galicia region where employment grew 8% to 21,050 people in 2010.
Vigo makes the Berlingo and Partner vans as well as the Citroen C4 Picasso MPV/minivan. Last September, PSA union chiefs forecast Vigo could make 500,000 cars in 2012 but given the Japanese crisis that forecast may now be reviewed, the union official added.
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By GlobalDataMeanwhile, GM Europe said its key Figuerelas site in Zaragoza was hardly affected by the crisis, adding that its 400,000 production forecast will be met this year.
A GM Spain spokesman confirmed GM chief executive Nick Reilly’s comments that Japan caused “no additional problems” as the factory was able to obtain components from alternative suppliers. He added production will proceed normally this month.
Still, Figuerelas lost some production shifts alongside GM’s other European factory in Eisenach, Reilly said.
Reilly added Figurerelas-made models such as the Meriva and Astra are seeing strong demand in Europe and that the site will likely make some of the brand’s future electric and hybrid vehicles.
