Japanese automaker Mazda has started construction of new $257m transmission plant, dubbed as Mazda Powertrain Manufacturing (Thailand) (MPMT), in Chonburi province.
Operations at the new SKYACTIV transmission manufacturing facility are expected to start in the first half of the fiscal year ending March 2016 and will have a capacity to produce around 400,000 SKYACTIV-DRIVE transmissions units per annum.
Mazda board vice chairman Seita Kanai said the establishment of the company's second transmission plant, MPMT, in Thailand would increase the SKYACTIV production system and ensure meeting future demand for products.
"This will not only help ensure Mazda's continued growth into the future, but also make a significant contribution to the development of the automotive industry in Thailand," Kanai said.
Mazda is also expanding the production capacity of SKYACTIV transmissions at its Hofu Plant in Yamaguchi, Japan to 1.1 million units by July 2014.
Together with the Hofu Plant, the global production capacity of Mazda's SKYACTIV transmissions would reach 1.54 million units per year.
Mazda is aiming to increase its global vehicle sales to 1.7 million units by March 2016, with 80% of those models to feature SKYACTIV technology.
