VDL Nedcar recently received a major blow when it became known that BMW Group will stop its production there in 2023. Still, according to the director, this may well be the best time to focus on a more extensive range of tasks for the Limburg manufacturer.
It goes without saying that VDL Nedcar was very disappointed when BMW made it clear in October that it was going to end its production in Born. The new X1 is being built in our own factories and the next generations of the models that the subsidiary brand Mini is now making there will soon be produced elsewhere. This means that the future for the Dutch car manufacturer is not uncertain for the first time in its history. Still, director Paul van Vuuren is optimistic. He is talking to De Volkskrant that there are interesting future prospects.
The car industry is changing and that may well work to the benefit of VDL Nedcar. “The trade war and, to a lesser extent, corona have shown that manufacturers need to spread their production capacity more widely around the world. This means that manufacturers not only move their production to China, but that Chinese manufacturers are also coming here. To Europe. And then we put our finger on it, “said Van Vuuren. The director also points out manufacturers who, to a lesser extent, attach great importance to ‘in-house production’. Consider, for example, newcomers such as Ineos and Fisker, who both outsource the production of their cars to independently operating factories. Fisker recently struck a deal with Magna-Steyr in Austria for car production. “The future is bright for independent car manufacturers like us, but the coming years will be just as exciting.”
Expansion
In the light of these changes, it is even sensible, according to Van Vuuren, to consider expanding VDL Nedcar. After all, it is important to avoid a period of downtime in the run-up to a new production deal. That was the case with Mitsubishi at the time, when that agreement came to an end in 2012. Before BMW could house production in Born, the factory also had to be prepared for this. Setting up additional production facilities that can anticipate a new production deal while BMW completes the coming years is important, according to Van Vuuren: “We also need expansion in order to be able to phase out BMW gradually and start gradually in the new hall. a more gradual transition from one to the other. “
According to Van Vuuren, numerous discussions are already being held with interested parties. VDL Nedcar hopes to become a facility that is as attractive as possible, which is another reason why it is important to consider new expertise and services. For example, Van Vuuren is already talking about setting up a battery factory, because electric driving is getting bigger and bigger and many start-ups want to make electric cars. Even the development of prototypes, design and facilitation of transport could possibly add to this, according to the director. The government has also indicated that it will support VDL Nedcar on its way to a new chapter. Not only essential for the Netherlands as a bv, but certainly also for the roughly 5,000 jobs that are currently involved.