The future of the local Nissan casting plant in Melbourne's Dandenong South looks bright thanks to the manufacturer of key components in crucial global models.
The Nissan Casting Australia Plant (NCAP) has had its future secured thanks to production of new-generation Y63 Patrol parts and next-generation electric car components.
With the Y62-generation being in production for over a decade, the NCAP could be viable for the next 10 years, but when the question was put to Nissan Oceania Managing Director Andrew Humberstone, he would not be drawn on a concrete timeline.
“We will be manufacturing Y63 parts as well as some of the newer electrified model components as well, which are products of the future,” Humberstone said.
However, the NCAP – in operation since 1982 – is safe for now, and employees 193 workers that run shifts 24 hours a day for up to six days a week.
In total, there are 1.2 million components produced at the NCAP in Victoria’s Dandenong South each year, which are then exported globally and found in models such as the X-Trail, Skyline, Navara, Note, Leaf and Qashqai.
While not confirmed, Drive understands the NCAP will continue to manufacture parts for the upcoming third-generation Leaf, which will also be sold by Mitsubishi in the US.
The next-generation e-Power hybrid models, which will launch first in the Qashqai, is also believed to house high-pressure die-cast components sourced from Australia.
This would seemingly give the NCAP a long lease on life amid Nissan’s global cost-cutting exercises until at least the mid-term future.
Another key strength of the NCAP is its prototyping, and research and development (R&D) expertise – a unique skillset in the production arena.
Unlike other facilities, the NCAP works hand-in-hand with the Nissan design and development team to find efficiencies in production to reduce overall costs.
The NCAP’s tooling is also flexible, able to manufacturer over 40 different components on site with existing tooling rather, than being sent full production machinery to build new parts.
Like all manufacturing facilities however, the NCAP needs to go to tender to win contracts for new components, but the site’s early pivot from internal combustion engine (ICE) parts to electric car pieces over 15 years ago has been crucial to its ongoing success.
Given electric vehicle (EV) components often require a higher degree of quality and lower margin of error, the Australian production facility is seen as trusted manufacturer for vital parts, Drive understands.
In 2021, around 54 per cent of parts produced at the NCAP were for high-voltage EV and hybrid systems, which has now shot up to 77 per cent.
Outside EV bits, the NCAP also builds final drive components, transmission housings, and bullbars and towbars – the latter amounting to 16,000 units per year.
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
