Nissan to cease production at Oppama factory by early-2028

As it embarks on a drastic restructuring plan that will see seven out of its 17 factories eventually shut down, Nissan has revealed one of the first victims to get axed: Its Oppama plant, located in Yokosuka, Japan.

Vehicle production at the site is set to cease by the end of Nissan's fiscal year 2027 (end-March 2028), with current and future models scheduled for production to be shifted to Nissan Motor Kyushu instead.

The news marks the end of a more-than five-decade journey for the Oppama plant, which started operations in 1961

Nissan has highlighted that the move will only affect the factory - and not its other facilities and functions within the district. These include its Nissan Research Centre, 'GRANDIVE' proving ground and crash test facility, as well as the Oppama Wharf, all of which will continue to operate as usual.

Simultaneously, the Japanese carmaker announced that production of the NV200 van, which currently rolls out of its Nissan Shatai Sonan Plant, will end by March 2027, with a successor to be revealed at a later date. The news also spells the end of production at the Shatai Sonan Plant.

Calling the impending closure of the Oppama plant a "tough but necessary decision", Nissan CEO, Ivan Espinosa, nonetheless reaffirmed that the move was a "vital step toward overcoming [Nissan's] current challenges and building a sustainable future".

Continuing, he also honoured the Oppama plant as a "a proud part of [Nissan's] history" with an enduring legacy.

The Oppama plant currently still produces the latest-generation Nissan Note

And an enduring legacy the site will have indeed. It was responsible for production the Datsun Bluebird when it first started operation in 1961, and hit a production milestone of five million units cumulatively less than twenty years later, in 1978. It would then go on to hit a production milestone of 15 million units in 2007.

The plant has also been responsible for some memorable Nissan models over the years, including the Nissan March, the Nissan Cube,and the first-generation Nissan Note e-POWER. It currently still produces the latest-generation Nissan Note.