Magna opens two new plants in China

An Active Grill Shutter was presented at the Exteriors Shanghai Plant grand opening ceremony on April 29th.
Photo Credit: Magna International Inc.

Automotive parts supplier Magna International Inc. has increased its presence in China with two recent grand opening celebrations.

A new plant in Changsha, a joint venture with GAC subsidiary GAC Component Co. Ltd. (GAC Component), began production of composite liftgates for a global automaker’s crossover vehicle in late 2018. This month, Magna’s plant in Shanghai started production on active aerodynamic grille shutters for an American brand producing multiple vehicle platforms for the China market.

“These facilities represent growing product segments for us: lightweight, composite liftgates and active aerodynamics,” Magna Exteriors president Grahame Burrow said in a statement. “Lightweight composites and active aerodynamics help our customers achieve lower CO₂ emissions and improved fuel economy.”

In the statement, Magna noted that demand for lightweight, fully recyclable, composite liftgates is strong as the market for crossover and sport utility vehicles continues to grow globally. Magna’s liftgate modules achieve up to 25 per cent mass savings over steel versions, leading to better fuel economy and lower emissions, the company said. “Composite materials also allow for greater design flexibility with deeper draws and tighter radii,” Magna said. “Additional benefits of [our] full-system assembly and delivery approach include reduced complexity of the total liftgate module, lower tooling investment and operating efficiency improvement in the automaker’s assembly plant.”

Aurora, Ont.-based Magna has 55 manufacturing facilities and 13 engineering centres in China with more than 22,000 employees.