Renault expects to manufacture up to 130 000 Nissan Micra per year in Flins
- Renault announced at the end of January that it may produce more Nissan Micra at its plant in Flins as from 2016, increasing its annual forecast of 82 000 units (April 2013 forecasts) to 130 000 units, an increase of more than 50 % of its original forecasts. This announcement means that the theoretical utilization rate of the plant could get close to 100% while it currently runs at just over 50% of its full capacity (300 000 units 2013).
- However, these new forecasts will be difficult to achieve because in the past the Nissan Micra has rarely reached such sales volume in Europe. This model has only ever exceeded this threshold in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and at that time the Nissan Juke (segment B SUV) did not exist and competition (especially Korean) was less harsh.
- One option would be to export the Micra outside of European borders, but we can then ask ourselves what would be the point of Nissan of producing such a model in France (where the cost of labour is much higher than in India where the current Micra is manufactured) for worldwide exports.
- The forecast to increase the production of the Micra in France could also accelerate the progressive transfer of the Renault Clio from the Flins plant to the Bursa plant in Turkey. Under these conditions, one may wonder if this scenario does not conflict with the objectives of Renault to produce more cars in France.
