European plants are the ones with the highest utilization rates
- Into all of the 100 European car plants, around 20 will have very high capacity utilization rates (standard definition of capacity enabling utilization rates to be higher than 100%) in 2016 (superior or equal to 100%). This is due to the fact that the European market has experienced strong growth since 2015, premium carmakers are experiencing even stronger growth, no carmaker has built new plants in this region in 2016, and even some carmakers (Opel, Ford) have closed plants in the last two years.
- Into the 21 European factories with a utilization rate equal to or greater than 100% of their capacity in 2016, 8 belong to premium carmakers. Mercedes, which became this year the first premium carmaker in terms of product volume, has 4 saturated plants, plus Valmet in Finland which manufactures its models. The transfer of part of the C-Class to the USA was not sufficient., The carmaker will increase its capacity at Kecskemét and release capacity in Düsseldorf (departure of Crafter to a VW plant located in Poland). Land Rover has a saturated plant in Solihull. It will release capacity by transferring production of the Jaguar XE from Solihull to Castle Bromwich and complete the construction of its plant in Slovakia.
- General carmakers Renault and Volkswagen also have saturated plants (5 plants for the first and 3 for the second), as their European production increased significantly in 2016. If the European market is still progressing in 2017, these two carmakers will need to increase their capacity.
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