JAPAN'S Nissan Motor Co further cemented its presence in China, now its biggest market globally, by planning to open a fourth plant in Dalian to boost sales to 2 million units.

Dongfeng Motor Co, a joint venture between Nissan and its Chinese partner Dongfeng Motor Group, plans to invest up to 5 billion yuan (US$785 million) in the Liaoning Province factory.

"Together with the Huadu plant in the south and the Xiangyang and Zhengzhou plants in central China, the Dalian plant in the northeast will be an important addition to our local supply base to realize our sales target of 2 million units in China by 2015," said Hiroto Saikawa, Nissan's executive vice president, at the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday.

In 2011, Nissan sold 1.247 million vehicles in China, a surge of 21.9 percent from a year earlier. Set to open in 2014, the new Dalian plant will add an annual capacity of 150,000 units, which may rise to 300,000 units in the future.

Although further details of the Dalian plant have yet to be disclosed, Dongfeng Motor Co has signed a deal to deliver 1,000 Venucia-branded electric vehicles by 2014 to a pilot program by the Dalian government to promote alternative-energy cars. Dongfeng will also contribute to infrastructure development to popularize the green vehicles in the city.

Unveiled as Nissan and Dongfeng's China-only brand in 2010, Venucia presented its first electric concept vehicle at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show in April.

Source:shanghaidaily.com