[Tsunamarama]

The Sunderland Plant produced the very first Infiniti Q30 hatchbacks today.

The Q30 and QX30 are aiming to double Infiinti's sales within the next few years. 2015 has only seen the brand sell ~192,000 units.

The Sunderland Plant received a £250 million investment to outfit it with a new paint job and assembly line extension. The UK government also invested £9.2m through the Regional Growth Fund.

“To prepare for Q30 production, we invested 250-million pounds here in the UK. This is creating more than 1,000 new jobs in the UK automotive industry. Q30 production is further strengthening our premium vehicle manufacturing capability in Sunderland, and exports to global markets such as China and North America signal the next phase in the expansion of Infiniti and a new chapter for our UK plant,” said Trevor Mann, Chief Performance Officer of Nissan Motor Corporation.

The QX30 should begin rolling off this same production line in approximately a month from now. The first vehicles made at the Sunderland plant will be exported to the US and China.

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

Thread of oct 2013 resurrected

Hi TS, great news that Q30 now rolling off the production line.


See also my update to your 2013 Thread - "Infiniti is building a........."


A story of success for the UK car manufacturing industry

 

[Indiana Jones]

Infiniti is serious about the Q30. They appointed “master craftspeople” to make sure that each car is up to their top standards. Not quite sure if there's a master craftspeople for every step of the manufacturing process but good to know that they're double checking everything coming off the production line.

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

Bbc building cars live -including q30 clay mockup

Infiniti is serious about the Q30. They appointed “master craftspeople” to make sure that each car is up to their top standards. Not quite sure if there's a master craftspeople for every step of the manufacturing process but good to know that they're double checking everything coming off the production line.

See YouTube videos parts 1 and 2 of the production of a Mini from start to finish.


However PART 2 of 2 includes visit to Nissan's Product planning Design Studio 30min 15 s into the 1.5 hr video and at 33min we see the production of the clay mockup of the Q30. preceding that is an interesting feature on quality control of car painting.


Part 1 of 2:

Part 2 of 2:

Enjoy

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

Infiniti Q30 Start of Production Ceremony - Highlights

Is that my Magnetic Red Q30 on the production line at the end of the video?
See YouTube video.

 

[alcatraz]

Not sure exactly what makes a "master craftspeople". Ultimately I just want to know that the Q30 will be high quality. No weird defects and no components that have issues.

 

[infinite]

Is that my Magnetic Red Q30 on the production line at the end of the video?
See YouTube video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSM63g4Yarg

Too bad we can't zoom in to see a VIN!

Imagine what that will do for your resale value

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

V I N Ledgers

Too bad we can't zoom in to see a VIN!

Imagine what that will do for your resale value

Interesting thought!. I wonder if manufacturers keep VIN / Date of production ledges for public access?.
I suppose my car for delivery in the first week of March 2016 will be hundreds or even early thousands off the production line.

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

Q30 production - a car, start to finish

Another video, Q30 from sheet-metal to road-ready!.

Q30s are produced on an Infinity/Nissan mixed-model line, the feature car being preceded by a White 'Nissan Note' 'B' Segment super-mini. In the previous video (post No 5) the red Q30 was being followed by a Blue 'Nissan Juke'.


A melting pot of models exit the production line and according to a feature in Auto Express, a car rolls off every 31 seconds, one of the highest production rates in the world...amazing .

 

[alcatraz]

Another video, Q30 from sheet-metal to road-ready!.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1skPoK91rs


Q30s are produced on an Infinity/Nissan mixed-model line, the feature car being preceded by a White 'Nissan Note' 'B' Segment super-mini. In the previous video (post No 5) the red Q30 was being followed by a Blue 'Nissan Juke'.


A melting pot of models exit the production line and according to a feature in Auto Express, a car rolls off every 31 seconds, one of the highest production rates in the world...amazing .

31 seconds??? Holy crap. It's hard to even imagine that. As long as the quality is consistent, I suppose that is what you call efficiency.

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

Yep!, one every 31 seconds which compares to:


Toyota, Burnaston , Derbyshire, UK - 1 every 66 seconds.


BMW Mini, Cowley, Oxford, UK - 1 every 68 seconds. (see post No 3 video, Building Cars Live)


I wonder what the figure was for Model T Fords? :nerd:

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

Yep!, one every 31 seconds which compares to:


Toyota, Burnaston , Derbyshire, UK - 1 every 66 seconds.


BMW Mini, Cowley, Oxford, UK - 1 every 68 seconds. (see post No 3 video, Building Cars Live)


I wonder what the figure was for Model T Fords? :nerd:

OOPS - Re: ref to post No3. Should read post No4

 

[Indiana Jones]

*facepalm* For a second I thought that a Q30 only took 31 seconds to produce from start to finish.

That Magnetic Red Q30 does look a lot nicer than the other one.

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

*facepalm* For a second I thought that a Q30 only took 31 seconds to produce from start to finish.

That Magnetic Red Q30 does look a lot nicer than the other one.

I've been there myself, but just out of interest, assuming that all parts are available 'JUST IN TIME', then an average USA mass-produced car in 2009 took 19.46hr by Toyota, 20.62hr by Honda & 24.48hr by Ford according to the www.freeby50.com website. I think some efficient plants in 2015 are now down to 15 hours ish.

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

I've been there myself, but just out of interest, assuming that all parts are available 'JUST IN TIME', then an average USA mass-produced car in 2009 took 19.46hr by Toyota, 20.62hr by Honda & 24.48hr by Ford according to the www.freeby50.com website. I think some efficient plants in 2015 are now down to 15 hours ish.

Full link to relevant feature:
How many hours does it take to build a car? | Free By 50


See also lots of other interesting motoring facts, stats & features.

 

[Tsunamarama]

I'm more serious about how much humans are a part of the process and how much things are just done by robots. With vehicles being produced that fast and such a big factory, so much must be automated.

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

Reign of the robots

I'm more serious about how much humans are a part of the process and how much things are just done by robots. With vehicles being produced that fast and such a big factory, so much must be automated.

The videos in this thread say it all, as does this interesting publication:


Reign of the robots: how to live in the machine age

 

[John Anthony Taylor]

Euro NCAP Crash Test of Infiniti Q30 2015

Hope I am never in a crash! :|


See Video:

 

[alcatraz]

The videos in this thread say it all, as does this interesting publication:


Reign of the robots: how to live in the machine age

The subheader is a little ominous...

By using ever more machines we lose not only physical skills, but cognitive faculties.

 

[Indiana Jones]

Hope I am never in a crash! :|


See Video:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGs-Vbf1Vhc

At least you'll be pretty well protected if anything ever happens. Their overall score was good.
Official Infiniti Q30 2015*safety rating results