YOKOHAMA (April 5, 2016) - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. today held a ceremony at its Iwaki Plant in Fukushima Prefecture to mark five years since the Great East Japan Earthquake that devastated the area. Nissan also further underlined its ongoing commitment to the region by donating e-NV200 electric vehicles to the prefecture and Iwaki City.
At the ceremony, Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn said: "Five years ago, this plant was heavily damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and we were forced to stop operations. I visited just two weeks after and saw cracked floors and collapsed engine and casting production lines. It was clear that we faced a huge challenge in bringing this plant back on line. But thanks to the fighting spirit of our workers—and the strong support we received from Fukushima Prefecture and Iwaki City—we were back to full operations two months after the earthquake.
"Since then, our Iwaki plant has continued to grow. In December, we reached a significant milestone when Iwaki produced its seven millionth engine. In February, we started production of the VR30, a brand new engine, which will power core Infiniti models. This step forward would not have been possible without the ongoing support of local leaders and community members."
Later at the plant, Ghosn presented one e-NV200 each to Fukushima Prefecture Governor Masao Uchibori and Iwaki City Mayor Toshio Shimizu. The vehicles will serve the prefecture's Aquamarine Fukushima aquarium and the city's Iwaki Lalamew shopping center.
Following the earthquake, a tsunami hit the Onahama area where the aquarium and shopping center are located. Although both facilities have been since been restored, visitor numbers are 30 percent lower than before the disaster.
Nissan's donation of the zero-emission vehicles will help the facilities' operations flourish again. Besides using the vehicle for transportation, Aquamarine Fukushima will take advantage of the e-NV200's electricity-supply function to power a mobile aquarium. Iwaki Lalamew's e-NV200 will transport goods and supply electricity to events.
Marking the donation, Ghosn said: "In an emergency, the e-NV200 can work as a power source by discharging electricity from its battery. It shows how owning an EV can strengthen a community's ability to recover in times of disaster. Hopefully, you won't have to use this capability. Under the strong leadership of Uchibori-san and Shimizu-san, I hope this region will promote the many other benefits of electric vehicles.
"Nissan remains committed to restoration efforts across Tohoku. We are proud and grateful to be part of the Iwaki and Fukushima communities, and we look forward to building a bright future together."
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2014, the company sold more than 5.3 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.3 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan manages operations in six regions: ASEAN & Oceania; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500, and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault under the Renault-Nissan Alliance since March 1999.
###