Nissan: ‘Steel to Wheels’ – A behind-the-scenes look at manufacturing the Nissan TITAN XD

CANTON, Miss. Since its introduction in 2003, the Nissan TITAN has been built in one place – Canton, Mississippi, a town north of the state capital and home to about 13,000.

A white Nissan water tower dots the sky above Canton, while the sprawling 4.7 million-square-foot plant – the Nissan Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant – just off the main highway has a staff of 6,400 working on its more than 1,000 acres.

In many ways, the mighty truck’s history is the plant’s own story, and staff refer to the vehicle like no other produced there, proudly calling it “Canton’s TITAN.”

“All TITANs made have come out of this plant,” said chief engineer Erik Fields. “The new Titan XD gives pride because we’ve been able to see something grow.”

To accommodate production of the latest edition of the TITAN, factory lines were modified to accommodate the sheer size and weight of the new truck, which comes in multiple sizes, engines, colors and technological specifications.

Canton has produced over 3 million vehicles in its history, including the Nissan TITAN, Murano, Altima, Armada and Frontier.

The new TITAN, however, has an even more complex and rigorous build process, meaning up to 16 hours are required in the metamorphosis from coiled steel to ready-to-drive wheels that are loaded onto a semi truck before delivery to dealerships and ultimately to customers.

“There is a bond when you see a TITAN on the road,” said Fields. “It’s from this plant. Everybody who works here can point out to their family and say that came from my plant.”

Here is the story of the making of Canton’s TITAN.

 

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at NissanUSA.com and InfinitiUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and InfinitiNews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan’s second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history. For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at Nissan-Global.com/EN/.

 

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Contact

Dan Passe
Senior Manager, Product Communications, Nissan Division
Office: 615-725-5264
dan.passe@nissan-usa.com