Production at Honda’s UK facility – suspended for four months due to the drop in demand for new cars – has been restarted today. A Honda spokesman confirmed to just-auto that Swindon output is planned at around half of previous levels.
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“Swindon production for the full year from June 1 is planned at around 115,000 units, of which maybe 30,000 will be the Jazz, which starts production in October,” the spokesman said.
In 2008, Swindon produced 228,000 Civic and CR-V models for the European market. Annual capacity at the plant is put at 300,000 units.
“As far as volume goes, much depends on developments in the market. If there’s a rapid pick up in the market we’ll obviously react to that,” the spokesman stressed.
Honda said the production hiatus gave it the chance to upgrade equipment and test new tools and prepare equipment for building the Jazz. New, faster and more efficient machinery has also been installed, which will help to secure the long-term future of the plant, it says.
The Swindon plant now employs some 3,400 after 1,300 have taken voluntary redundancy. Remaining workers have also agreed a 3% pay cut for the next ten months, with managers taking a 5% reduction.
