Dutch Nedcar Plans Nightshift to Raise Production

09/20/96

Reuters reports that Nedcar, a joint venture between Volvo, Mitsubishi, and the Dutch government, requested a license to start night shifts from the Dutch ministry of social affairs.

Nedcar spokesman Fokko Haanstra said the license would allow Nedcar to reach its production target of 280,000 cars a year by 1998. Planned production for 1996 was 145,000.

Haanstra said, "We need to increase our annual production hours to 5,000 from 4,000," and said share holders had demanded higher production.

Speaking of the plan, Volvo spokesman Ulf Thorne said it was in line with the venture's plan to gradually increase production capacity.

Nedcar recently boosted the production pace at its plants in the southern Dutch town of Born to about 400 cars per day. Nedcar makes producing the Mitsubishi Carisma and Volvo S40/V40 models.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel