A hiccup in the painting process has led to production delays for the sports car and the Ariya EV.
A new report suggests the production of the Nissan Z is being negatively impacted at the firm's Tochigi Plant in Kaminokawa, Japan. According to Driver Web, the delays aren't due to supply chain issues (as was formerly the case) but rather the painting process.
Paint, you ask? Allow us to explain. The Tochigi Plant falls under the Nissan Intelligent Factory program, which, among other things, prioritizes sophisticated automation processes and sustainability. This new ethos has been adopted throughout the painting process, which is thought to be the source of the issue.
The report doesn't single out a specific problem. However, a source with in-depth knowledge of the automaker's sales network told the publication that paint-related issues have hampered Z production. Nissan, however, still says the semiconductor chip shortage is to blame.
The all-electric Ariya (also produced at the Tochigi plant) is similarly affected. The unnamed informant added that the factory is looking to improve the solution, but, so far, it has proved a daunting task to tackle.
This has impacted sales of the Z, with Driver Web reporting that, in Japan, just 435 examples were registered between January and May 2023. In May, 67 examples were registered in the country. With more than 5,000 orders on the back burner, it will take Nissan more than five years to deliver Z cars at the current production rate.
In the United States, Nissan delivered just 466 units in the first quarter of 2023. In the same period, Toyota shifted 871 examples of the more expensive GR Supra, so these paint-related delays also affected global markets.
Nissan says the Tochigi plant has an advanced automated paint inspection system comprised of eleven robots that inspect the paintwork. These sophisticated machines detect dust and debris (as small as 0.3 mm) and send the results to a centralized management system. In theory, this should prevent cars from leaving the factory with even the most minor flaws. A newly-instituted water-based paint is used on vehicles built at the Tochigi facility.
As this is all relatively new for the manufacturer, there could be several issues causing these delays. Hopefully, Nissan will remedy the situation soon, as customers could tire of waiting and look to the competition for a similar vehicle.
What's more, with the hotted-up Nismo variant on the horizon, the Tochigi plant will have even more to deal with.
Keyword: Nissan Z Production Delayed By Pesky Paint Problems