Wuhan, February 9 news (reporter Zhang Zhuo correspondent Zhang Jun) On February 8, Valeo Lighting Wuhan Second Factory started production, and the first lamp accessories rolled off the production line. It is reported that this is Valeo's third expansion of investment in the "China Car Valley" after three expansions of the Wuhan factory and the construction of research and development centers.
Ma Jianjian, general manager of Valeo Light (China) Light Co., Ltd., said that the Wuhan Economic Development Zone has become an important pillar area for Valeo to serve the global automotive industry, and "China Car Valley" will become the manufacturing base of electric vehicle lamps for Valeo lighting systems in the Chinese market.
The scene of the start of the construction activity (Photo by Li Yue, Central Broadcasting Network)
Valeo Group is one of the first internationally renowned foreign enterprises to settle in Wuhan Economic Development Zone. In 1995, a factory was built in the Wuhan Economic Development Zone to produce vehicle lighting systems.
In the past 27 years, Valeo's Wuhan plant has undergone three expansions, from 200 employees at the beginning of the factory, with a maximum annual output of 150,000 headlights, to an annual output of 2 million headlights and 1.5 million taillights, including DPCA, Changan Ford, SAIC-GM, Volvo, FAW-Volkswagen and other automakers. In 2021, Valeo's Wuhan plant will generate sales revenue of nearly RMB1.5 billion, accounting for 43% of Valeo Lighting Systems' total sales revenue in China.
The first off-line ceremony (Photo by Li Yue, Central Broadcasting Network)
The Wuhan Economic Development Zone is also home to valeo Lighting Systems' headquarters in China. Valeo Lighting Systems China headquarters is fully responsible for the expansion of Valeo's automotive lighting business in the Chinese market, including research and development functions, development functions, and the establishment of a CNAS accredited laboratory.
In addition to continuing to increase the lighting business, Valeo has also invested 55 million yuan to build Valeo's world's largest R&D center - Valeo China Technology Center in the Innovation Valley of South Prince Lake in Wuhan Economic Development Zone, in addition to developing lamps and other products, it also develops intelligent networking and automatic driving technologies including automatic parking, driver assistance, and human-computer interaction. "By the end of 2021, we will achieve 100% high-end technology localization design and manufacturing, and our research and development results will not only be launched worldwide but also resold to The European and American business units." Ma Jianjian said.
Facing the future, Valeo's layout is electrified. According to Ma Jianjian, Valeo Lighting Systems China has clearly used the Wuhan factory as an industrial manufacturing base for electric vehicle lamps, investing 200 million yuan to start the construction of Valeo Lighting's second factory in Wuhan in the second half of last year, creating the most advanced and fastest production beat of the lamps and key modules in Asia.
Valeo production workshop (Photo by Li Yue, CCTV)
The factory will produce lamps for the world's famous electric vehicle brands, some production equipment has been installed and debugged, is expected to be full production in April this year, after the production can be 500,000 lamps per year, the annual sales of more than 1 billion yuan.
At present, Wuhan Economic Development Zone has gathered 8 major automobile companies, 12 OEMs and more than 500 well-known parts enterprises such as Dongfeng Honda, Dongfeng Passenger Vehicle, Dongfeng Dongfeng Passenger Vehicle, DPCA, Lantu and Nissan, becoming one of the automobile manufacturing industry clusters with the highest concentration in The country.
"As the domestic production capacity integration center of Valeo's lamp plate, Wuhan Valeo has the ability to develop high-end automobiles and support high-tech lamps, and can radiate the world." Ma Jianjian said that in the future, Valeo will firmly base itself on the Economic Development Zone, promote the intelligent and digital upgrading of wuhan factories, and work with the Wuhan Economic Development Zone to create a better future for the automobile industry.