Nissan's Yokohama Plant Engine Production Passes 40 Million Milestone; Motors, Solid-State Batteries

A number of engines made by the Yokohama Plant have left their mark in automotive history. These include the 1979 L20ET, which was Japan's first turbocharged passenger-car engine, and the 1983 VG, the country’s first mass- produced V6 engine. The Yokohama Plant now makes the VR38DETT engine, which is hand-assembled by skilled takumi master craftspeople for the Nissan GT-R. Since 2007 it has produced the VC Turbo—the world’s first mass-produced engine featuring variable compression ratio technology. (Earlier post.)

As society changes, so does the Yokohama Plant. Since the launch of the all-electric LEAF in 2010, the plant has been also producing motors, including those for e-POWER vehicles such as the Nissan Note. In fiscal year 2022, motors accounted for approximately 40% of Yokohama Plant's production.

As the Yokohama Plant approaches its 90th anniversary, it continues to play a leading role in the development of Nissan’s production technology. In addition to producing motors and engines, it also serves as a pilot plant for the development of powertrain production technology that will have global applications.

Next year, a pilot line will be established in the plant to develop all-solid-state batteries.