German auto parts manufacturer Webasto opened its 10th factory in China this month, a new wholly owned vehicle sunroof plant in the southern province of Guangzhou.
Operations at a smaller, adjacent leased facility are to be moved gradually to the new site to minimise production disruption.
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The new factory has an annual production capacity of 1.6m sunroofs per year and will supply key automakers in the province including Dongfeng Nissan, FAW-VW and Guangzhou Honda.
According to Webasto, China is the world’s largest market for sunroofs, with a passenger vehicle fitment rate of around 40% compared with a global average of around 33%.
There is also a growing trend in China towards high-spec sunroofs, including convertible and larger panoramic units and sunroofs with heating and cooling systems.
The company generated a turnover of around EUR1bn in China last year, equivalent to just under 30% of its global turnover.
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By GlobalDataWebasto also said it would soon begin construction of an 11th plant in the country, an electric vehicle battery facility, which will increase its exposure to the country’s booming market for electric vehicles.
The company, which already makes battery charging systems for electric vehicles, earlier this month signed a technical collaboration agreement with Samsung SDI – a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.
According to Webasto, most sunroofs are either inbuilt or spoiler models. Inbuilt sunroofs are opened when the glass roof panel retracts and disappears into the thin cavity between the metal roof skin and passenger compartment headliner. Powered by an integrated electric motor, the glass panel opens, closes and also tilts up from front to back providing a venting effect. Spoiler-type sunroofs retract on sliding hinges, which create a stylish cantilever effect while fully uncovering the roof opening. Most spoilers vent by tilting up in the rear while still covering most of the roof opening.
Extract from Sunroofs section
