Bosch UK is predicting annual vehicle production to reach 2.1m units in the country by 2015, as nascent economic recovery allied to success stories such as Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan continue.
The Tier 1 supplier unveiled some 2012 British numbers today (3 June) at MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) in the UK Midlands region that saw sales rising slightly from EUR2.2bn (US$3.1bn) to EUR2.4bn, with automotive technology the operation’s largest business sector.
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The UK is now Bosch’s sixth largest global market and employs around 4,400 staff.
[UK] “2.1m cars by 2015 is realistic – all the car manufacturers have models here [such as ] Honda, Nissan, Jaguar Land Rover,” Bosch UK president, Peter Fouquet told just-auto next to MIRA’s test track. “What I feel is not frustration – it is a certain confidence – I am confident we will reach nearly 1% growth rate this year.“We see in the consumer market [a] good mood – I can’t really explain why new cars sales are up – the British are car enthusiasts and they like technology.
“We expect a new all-time high [UK car sales] – I am confident we will reach that in this country and we as Bosch will be able to benefit out of this development.”
Bosch has opened two new automotive engineering sites in the UK this year, namely MIRA Technology Park and the Warwick Technology Park at the university of the same name.
The new operations are in addition to a site soon to be opened in the north of the UK that combines three existing Bosch locations operated by the company’s Rexroth facility, as well as the company’s Worcester, Bosch, training centre.
“The UK has secured more than GBP6bn of investment supporting highly skilled jobs,” said Fouquet. “With the likes of [for example] JLR [having] long-term investment programmes and Ford UK supplying engines to the European area.
“Bosch is one of the UK’s largest European investors – today we employ 4,400 people in the [country] across 40 sites. We have continued with investment in the UK.”
