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Business Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Times
Factory that symbolised Nissan's rise may become victim of its decline
[YOKOSUKA, Japan] When Nissan's Oppama plant opened in 1961, it was one of Japan's first large-scale auto factories and a symbol of the company's global ambitions. Sixty-four years and millions of cars later, the storied plant now faces possible closure as Nissan sinks deeper into crisis. New chief executive Ivan Espinosa unveiled sweeping cost cuts this month that included plans to shed 15 per cent of the global workforce and close seven factories worldwide. Battered by declining sales in the United States and China, Nissan faces a mountain of debt repayment and is scrambling to upgrade its ageing line-up of vehicles. The Japanese automaker hasn't said which of its 17 plants will be closed. Reuters reported this month that Oppama, in the port city of Yokosuka south of Tokyo, was being considered, as was another, smaller plant in Japan. Factories in South Africa, India, Argentina and Mexico could also be closed, Reuters has reported. 'There won't be any big companies left,' said Kunito Watanabe, a longtime Yokosuka resident who has already seen supermarkets and a major bank close their doors. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Watanabe said he worked for a small trucking company and business was dependent on the Oppama plant. 'As long as they are making cars here, we're okay. But if that stops, my company will shut down.' Shuttering Oppama, long dubbed Nissan's 'mother factory', would be an almost incalculable blow for its 3,900 employees and their families, the city of Yokosuka, and Japan itself. Once the world leader in everything from chips to TVs and stereos, Japan is no longer dominant in electronics and semiconductors, making it more reliant on an auto industry increasingly threatened by Tesla and Chinese EV makers. Nissan's willingness to cut jobs at home is the latest sign that the lifetime-employment social contract that governed Japan's postwar era is slowly unravelling. Naval airfield Built on the site of a former Japanese naval airfield and roughly the size of more than 200 soccer fields, the Oppama factory includes a research centre, a test-drive course and a shipping hub. It was the birthplace of the Leaf, Nissan's first mass-market EV, which was launched in 2010. Production of that car, the world's top-selling EV model for years until it was eclipsed by Tesla, has since been moved to Tochigi, a refurbished plant that is not being considered for closure. Oppama used to produce the Bluebird, once one of Nissan's best known cars and sold as the Altima in the United States. Now it makes the smaller Note and Aura models. Nissan is Yokosuka's top employer and one of the city's major taxpayers, local officials said, making it an essential part of life in the city of 370,000 people. The factory represents Yokosuka's transition from a military to civilian economy during the post-war years. The US Navy still has a base in the city and the shipbuilding arm of Sumitomo Heavy Industries has a plant, although it has stopped taking new orders, according to its parent company. 'As Nissan grew and developed, the surrounding area developed as well,' said Kenji Muramatsu, a Yokosuka municipal official. 'The entire town was essentially built around the Oppama factory.' In the boom years of the early 1990s, new cars streamed off the production lines and the streets around Yokosuka were jammed with the vehicles of Nissan employees heading to and from work, Muramatsu recalled. Today, the area around the local train station is a mix of slightly shabby and shuttered low-rise buildings that are slated to be demolished for redevelopment. During Nissan's heyday, Yokosuka became known as one of several 'motor cities' in Japan. It was also home to a plant of a Toyota Group company which closed in 2000 and another Nissan plant, which shut in 2010. Workers at Nissan's Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Japan, May 23, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Typically, when Japanese factories close, workers are reassigned to other plants. Nissan is now offering early retirement to some employees. Hard time One Oppama worker, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Nissan had been asking for volunteers to take early retirement packages, focusing its attention on employees in administrative roles rather than on production lines. If the plant is closed, those who keep their jobs will potentially face the hard choice of living apart from their families or uprooting their households from Yokosuka, said the worker, who was in their 50s and had only ever worked for Nissan. A worker at Nissan's Oppama plant in Yokosuka, Japan, May 23, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS Kaoru Takahashi first worked at the plant more than 40 years ago when she was still a teenager. In her twenties, she did another stint, removing rust spots from car bodies during production. She no longer works there, but said she knows people who do. 'I feel really bad for the workers who have families and children, who bought houses and have mortgages to pay,' she said. 'Subcontractors will also have a hard time,' she added, rattling off the sorts of service workers reliant on the factory for their livelihoods: rubbish collectors, cafeteria workers, cleaners. Akio Kamataki, 72, runs a bustling 'tachinomiya' (standing bar) near the station. It has been in business at the same spot since 1925, first as a ceramics shop and later as a general store. Kamataki likes to quip it is older than Nissan. 'The Oppama factory is a source of pride' for locals, he said. 'I still buy Nissan cars and I like them. I haven't driven other brands recently, but I like Nissan's brakes - the way they respond.' Decades ago, the Oppama plant would be mentioned in elementary school textbooks, he said. Kamataki had expected to close down for good in March because of the redevelopment project around the station area. But the project has since been pushed back. 'Now I wonder which will close first,' he said, with a grim laugh. 'The Nissan plant or my bar.' REUTERS
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Factory that symbolised Nissan's rise may become victim of its decline
By Daniel Leussink YOKOSUKA, Japan (Reuters) -When Nissan's Oppama plant opened in 1961, it was one of Japan's first large-scale auto factories and a symbol of the company's global ambitions. Sixty-four years and millions of cars later, the storied plant now faces possible closure as Nissan sinks deeper into crisis. New Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa unveiled sweeping cost cuts this month that included plans to shed 15% of the global workforce and close seven factories worldwide. Battered by declining sales in the United States and China, Nissan faces a mountain of debt repayment and is scrambling to upgrade its ageing line-up of vehicles. The Japanese automaker hasn't said which of its 17 plants will be closed. Reuters reported this month that Oppama, in the port city of Yokosuka south of Tokyo, was being considered, as was another, smaller plant in Japan. Factories in South Africa, India, Argentina and Mexico could also be closed, Reuters has reported. "There won't be any big companies left," said Kunito Watanabe, a longtime Yokosuka resident who has already seen supermarkets and a major bank close their doors. Watanabe said he worked for a small trucking company and business was dependent on the Oppama plant. "As long as they are making cars here, we're okay. But if that stops, my company will shut down." Shuttering Oppama, long dubbed Nissan's "mother factory", would be an almost incalculable blow for its 3,900 employees and their families, the city of Yokosuka, and Japan itself. Once the world leader in everything from chips to TVs and stereos, Japan is no longer dominant in electronics and semiconductors, making it more reliant on an auto industry increasingly threatened by Tesla and Chinese EV makers. Nissan's willingness to cut jobs at home is the latest sign that the lifetime-employment social contract that governed Japan's postwar era is slowly unravelling. NAVAL AIRFIELD Built on the site of a former Japanese naval airfield and roughly the size of more than 200 soccer fields, the Oppama factory includes a research centre, a test-drive course and a shipping hub. It was the birthplace of the Leaf, Nissan's first mass-market EV, which was launched in 2010. Production of that car, the world's top-selling EV model for years until it was eclipsed by Tesla, has since been moved to Tochigi, a refurbished plant that is not being considered for closure. Oppama used to produce the Bluebird, once one of Nissan's best known cars and sold as the Altima in the United States. Now it makes the smaller Note and Aura models. Nissan is Yokosuka's top employer and one of the city's major taxpayers, local officials said, making it an essential part of life in the city of 370,000 people. The factory represents Yokosuka's transition from a military to civilian economy during the post-war years. The U.S. Navy still has a base in the city and the shipbuilding arm of Sumitomo Heavy Industries has a plant, although it has stopped taking new orders, according to its parent company. "As Nissan grew and developed, the surrounding area developed as well," said Kenji Muramatsu, a Yokosuka municipal official. "The entire town was essentially built around the Oppama factory." In the boom years of the early 1990s, new cars streamed off the production lines and the streets around Yokosuka were jammed with the vehicles of Nissan employees heading to and from work, Muramatsu recalled. Today, the area around the local train station is a mix of slightly shabby and shuttered low-rise buildings that are slated to be demolished for redevelopment. During Nissan's heyday, Yokosuka became known as one of several "motor cities" in Japan. It was also home to a plant of a Toyota Group company which closed in 2000 and another Nissan plant, which shut in 2010. Typically, when Japanese factories close, workers are reassigned to other plants. Nissan is now offering early retirement to some employees. HARD TIME One Oppama worker, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Nissan had been asking for volunteers to take early retirement packages, focusing its attention on employees in administrative roles rather than on production lines. If the plant is closed, those who keep their jobs will potentially face the hard choice of living apart from their families or uprooting their households from Yokosuka, said the worker, who was in their 50s and had only ever worked for Nissan. Kaoru Takahashi first worked at the plant more than 40 years ago when she was still a teenager. In her twenties, she did another stint, removing rust spots from car bodies during production. She no longer works there, but said she knows people who do. "I feel really bad for the workers who have families and children, who bought houses and have mortgages to pay," she said. "Subcontractors will also have a hard time," she added, rattling off the sorts of service workers reliant on the factory for their livelihoods: rubbish collectors, cafeteria workers, cleaners. Akio Kamataki, 72, runs a bustling "tachinomiya" (standing bar) near the station. It has been in business at the same spot since 1925, first as a ceramics shop and later as a general store. Kamataki likes to quip it is older than Nissan. "The Oppama factory is a source of pride" for locals, he said. "I still buy Nissan cars and I like them. I haven't driven other brands recently, but I like Nissan's brakes - the way they respond." Decades ago, the Oppama plant would be mentioned in elementary school textbooks, he said. Kamataki had expected to close down for good in March because of the redevelopment project around the station area. But the project has since been pushed back. "Now I wonder which will close first," he said, with a grim laugh. "The Nissan plant or my bar." Sign in to access your portfolio
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Sadness reigns supreme yet again in Leafs Nation
If there's one thing Rankin Inlet resident and lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan Gabe Karlik knows, it's that this time of year almost always brings with it both shock and sadness. Yet, somehow hope springs eternal for Leafs fans and Karlik is already looking ahead to the future. Karlik said he fully expects Leafs star forward Mitch Marner to leave this summer when he becomes a free agent on July 1. Surprisingly, however, he said if he could re-sign Marner as a Leaf, he would. And the surprises don't end there. 'If there was an opportunity to trade (Leafs captain Auston) Matthews, I would,' said Karlik. 'The thing for me is, they expect Marner to score and he's never been a big goal scorer. 'He scored 30 goals, yeah, but that's his ceiling. If you look at players like Adam Oates and those guys, they were never criticized for not scoring goals. 'Only in Toronto can a guy get 70 assists and still be told, 'you're not doing enough.' 'And, he plays defence and kills penalties. What else can he do? Other than not fight, what else can he contribute?' Karlik was quick to add, however, if he was Marner, he wouldn't re-sign in Toronto. He said can also understand if Marner decides not to sign with a Canadian team at all. 'Wherever he signs in Canada, he's going to be a hard focus, right? As (Florida Panthers forward Brad) Marchand said, some people strive on attention and some people don't. And Marner is one of those who doesn't. 'I don't think Leafs fans could take a complete rebuild, but, if they go that route, they should tank again next year (to secure a high first-round pick in the draft). 'As far as the Leafs deciding to tinker with their lineup rather than do a rebuild, with (William) Nylander's big raise last year he and (John) Tavares just basically traded contracts. 'As far their chances next year, especially without Marner, it all depends on who they sign as free agents. I think, at this point, I'd rather see the rebuild. Either way, I'm always going to be a Leafs fan, but they sure know how to make you suffer.'
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Huge Rebates Mean 30% Off MSRP For This EV
Affordability has always been a strong point of the Nissan Leaf, but Nissan is bringing prices to a more attractive place than ever before. With decent in-car technology like Apple CarPlay and a surprisingly spacious interior, there's a lot to love about the Nissan Leaf - even if it isn't the latest and greatest EV on sale today. As originally reported by CarsDirect, Nissan is heavily incentivizing the 2025 Nissan Leaf EV. The rebates are extremely compelling, whether you're in it short-term or long-term, but financing will see the most substantial savings. Customers in any US market can shave 30% off the car's original MSRP thanks to $7,500 in Customer Cash. Alternatively, those who choose to finance can also opt for 0.0% APR, even with a term of 72 months. West Coast shoppers will also be eligible for a further $1,500 in savings if they're loyal Nissan customers already. That all adds up to $9,000 in savings, over 30% of the car's $28,140 start price. Nissan isn't leaving lease customers out to dry, either. Those who lease will enjoy up to $3,475 in rebates, which represents a still impressive 12% of the car's MSRP. What does that mean for you, a prospective Nissan Leaf lessee? It means a very attractive monthly payment on traditional 36-month/10,000-mile leases. Shoppers in the southern Florida, Midwest, and greater Los Angeles regions can take home a 2025 Nissan Leaf for $289/month with $2,239 due at signing and the full $3,475 manufacturer rebate. Manhattan - arguably where the Leaf makes the most sense - and greater NYC area shoppers enjoy even more savings. With $2,249 due at signing your monthly payment will be an eye-popping $269. Remember, none of these figures account for local tax, title, or license fees. Check your local pricing here: Related: I Test Drove the 2025 Nissan Murano: It Redefines Expectations While the Nissan Leaf is perfectly acceptable transportation, there are some reasons for Nissan's aggressive rebates. For one, the current model is being phased out. A new model is on the way, and although we don't have a specific time frame, it's likely to arrive sometime next year. The Leaf's range is far from class-leading at just 212 miles. All of that is arguably easy to overlook for some shoppers. What's less forgivable is the archaic charging technology the Leaf relies on. That's right: the Leaf is one of just two cars on sale today that still rely on CHAdeMo charging. The other is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Similar to the Leaf itself, CHAdeMo charge stations have been phased out in lieu of the more popular CCS ports. That means charging your Leaf may not always be the easiest endeavor if you can't charge at home. We won't sugarcoat it - even with the tremendous savings available to shoppers, the Nissan Leaf won't work for every customer. But if you don't need a ton of range and have access to a CHAdeMo charger, there are no better options on the market. Especially when there's this much savings on the line. There aren't any cars like the Leaf on sale today. And that's part of the reason you won't find any other car with these kinds of rebates. Related: The Race for US Trade: Nissan's Anxiety Grows as South Korea Gains Edge *Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The information presented herein is based on manufacturer-provided lease offer information, which is subject to frequent change and may vary based on location, creditworthiness, and other factors. We are not a party to any lease agreements and assume no liability for the terms, conditions, availability, or accuracy of any lease offers mentioned. All terms, including but not limited to pricing, mileage allowances, and residual values, require direct verification with an authorized local OEM dealership. This article does not constitute financial advice or an endorsement of any particular lease or vehicle. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Nissan's Plan To Avoid Tariffs? Take Over a Ford Plant
Though not fully implemented, the specter of tariffs looms large over the auto industry. After decades of building global supply chains and leaning into overseas manufacturing, automakers are growing concerned that tariffs will hit hard and fast. Like many, Nissan is looking to stateside production and procurement to avoid tariffs (should they arrive) and is now partnering with Ford to help in one critical way. The Wall Street Journal reports that a Ford plant in Kentucky will now be used by Nissan to manufacture batteries for its EVs. Though the report doesn't detail Nissan's production plans, expect that batteries for the Ariya and Leaf, Nissan's only two fully electric vehicles, will come from this Kentucky plant. In 2021, Ford built two factories in Kentucky as part of a larger $7 billion investment in production and electrification. The two plants were a joint venture with SK On, a battery maker in Korea that produces EV batteries and power storage solutions. The Wall Street Journal notes that weaker-than-expected demand for EVs caused one of the Kentucky facilities to sit dormant. That low demand eventually met with high production costs and looming tariffs, creating a slowdown in Ford's battery manufacturing. Nissan's choice to utilize this defunct factory helps it avoid tariffs on imported EV batteries, which promise to be a substantial additional cost to EV buyers that they are unlikely to tolerate. In Q1, Nissan reported a $4.5 billion loss and canceled a planned battery factory in Japan. SK On and Nissan already have a deal in place, too; in March, Nissan said SK On would provide batteries for electrified SUVs in production at its Canton, Mississippi, plant. It seems reasonable that this defunct Ford plant in Kentucky-that was built in partnership with SK On-will serve as the production point for SK On and Nissan's efforts. Details of the deal between SK On and Ford are unknown, but this development is significant for Ford. It either recoups losses by leasing the factory to Nissan or avoids any potential breach of contract with SK On as the factory sits dormant. If SK On owns and operates the factory, but Ford can't satisfy a production agreement, Nissan stepping in may ease Ford's accountability. Nissan continuously struggles to gain footing in the U.S. market despite making respectable SUVs and a great EV SUV. If this deal with SK On keeps Ariyas (and Leafs, maybe?) on its lots, EV buyers may give its vehicles a closer look. Many other automakers, like BMW, are in a holding pattern with electrified vehicles, so the time might be right for Nissan to gain market share. It's a tenuous time for Nissan. A spiked deal with Honda had many wondering if the brand would survive, and as EV demand wanes and tariffs loom on the horizon, Nissan must thread the needle on electrification to gain market share. Partnering with SK On to produce EV batteries domestically is smart, but whether it results in more sales remains to be seen. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
