The first batch of Australian-made components for Nissan electric vehicles was this week exported to Japan from the Nissan Casting Australia Plant (NCAP) in Dandenong, Victoria.
The aluminium components include the inverter case, inverter water jacket and water jacket cover for electric vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF, which was launched in Australia last month.
"Everyone at Nissan Australia is excited that we are playing such a tangible role in the production of zero emission electric vehicles," said Nissan Australia CEO William F Peffer Jr.
"To see 'Job Number One' for the electric vehicle parts production finished and exported is a landmark moment for the Nissan Casting Plant.
"These electric vehicle parts are part of more than two million components and accessories made at the Nissan Casting Plant each year, contributing to the overall growth of success of Nissan both in Australia and globally."
NCAP was awarded an exclusive suite of global manufacturing contracts by its parent company in Japan last year and will eventually produce around $160m in export revenue.
Manufacturing contracts for three parts were secured with the support of the Federal Green Car Innovation Fund and funding from the Victorian Government's Business Assistance Grant.
The components use new casting technologies developed in Victoria, in consultation with Nissan, by the CSIRO and the Centre for Applied Special Technology (CAST) Co-operative Research Centre (CRC).
Nissan expects to progressively invest a total of $21m in its sustainable, zero emission technology manufacturing operation to support its Dandenong plant.
About the Nissan Casting Australia Plant (NCAP):
Located 30 kilometres south-east of Melbourne, the casting plant's main business activities are high pressure die casting; low pressure die casting and CNC machining. Founded in 1982, the plant reinvented itself as a stand-alone supplier following Nissan's withdrawal from local automotive manufacturing in 1991. This year, the plant will produce over two million aluminium castings.
The plant exports most of its parts to Nissan factories in Japan, Thailand, Mexico and the United States. It currently produces core aluminium castings including transmission housings, clutch housings, rear drive housings, cylinder heads and oil pan assemblies some of which eventually return to Australia included in Navara, DUALIS, Pathfinder, Murano and X-TRAIL vehicles. The Australian castings can be identified by a small kangaroo stamped on the outside of the casting.
Another dimension was added to the 20,000 square metre plant in 2011 when accessory manufacturing was introduced, with tow bars, sports bars and nudge bars now produced by NCAP.
The Nissan casting plant currently operates three shifts, six days a week and employs around 140 full time employees.
