Magneti Marelli has inaugurated two new production sites in the field of lighting and electronic systems, in two key regions for the Chinese automotive scenario – Xiaogan and Guangzhou. The actual total investment is worth about 36 million Euros.
A manufacturing plant was inaugurated in Xiaogan (Hubei province), born of the Joint Venture called Hubei Huazhong Magneti Marelli Automotive Lighting. The JV resulted from the partnership between Magneti Marelli and China South Industries Group Corporation (CSI), through the subsidiary Hubei Huazhong Photoelectric Science and Technology Ltd, aimed at the manufacturing of lighting systems for the automotive sector.
The surface of the industrial plant in Xiaogan is of more than 44 thousand square meters, 28 thousand of which are covered. Inside the plant an important R&D centre has been created (of about 4 thousand square meters): it is highly structured in order to work in close contact with the car makers present in the area. The capacity of Magneti Marelli Automotive Lighting to design, develop and produce locally hi-tech products with a high added value, accordingly to the needs of the Chinese market and carmakers, is strategically increased with CSI.
In the start-up phases, the plant may count on a staff of over 160 people in 2015, with the expectation of a progressive people increase over the next five years. The initial manufacturing capacity shall be of 500 thousand headlamps (made initially for the Ford Taurus in the halogen version and the Full-LED version with E-light adaptive system – a world first) to achieve 2.5 million headlamps and 2.5 million rearlamps in 2019. The initial total investment for the plant is worth 14 million Euros, with a plan of nearly tripling the investments in the next five years, in order to enable a growth according to market requirements.
Moreover, the enlarged Magneti Marelli Electronics Systems plant in Guangzhou – Guangdong province – will be inaugurated, with a total investment of 22 million Euros. The Guangzhou plant has been the first Magneti Marelli installation in China in 1996. The first product was the instrument cluster of the Peugeot 505. Now, four business area operates in the Guangzhou plant: instrument clusters, powertrain electronics, lighting and body electronics, infotainment and telematics
The total surface of the industrial installation is of 50 thousand square metres (41 thousand of which are covered) and includes an R&D centre of 3,500 square metres. Presently 650 people work in the plant, with a plan of almost doubling the number by 2019. The current manufacturing capacity is of 3.5 million automotive electronic modules, which will reach 10 million in 2019.