Nissan Auto Adopts Modular Construction

Just about every industry in world embraces some form of modular construction, Now we learn that even the automobile industry, the masters of the production line, is now the latest heavy industry to join the modular world.

Renault Nissan is the latest automaker to adopt a strategy of widespread platform and parts sharing across models, announcing today it will soon implement a modular platform architecture in 14 of its models from both the Renault and Nissan brands.

Called the Common Modular Family (CMF), Renault Nissan hopes the architecture’s adoption will generate an average 30-40 percent reduction in the cost of developing a new model and a 20-30 percent reduction in the cost of parts for the alliance. Another benefit will be the streamlining of production centers around the globe.

The initial deployment of CMF will cover 1.6 million vehicles per year and 14 models (11 from Renault and 3 from Nissan). The first of these will be seen as early as this year.

About the only industry that hasn't fully accepted modular construction is the site built tract homes industry.