JAC Motors is scaling up production at its plant in Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo, with a 30% capacity boost and new flexible lines to assemble electric and combustion SUVs, pickups, LCVs and trucks for Mexico’s evolving market
The steady rise of Chinese automotive manufacturing in Latin America has gained fresh momentum as JAC Motors accelerates investment in its Mexican operations. In Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo, the company has begun the refurbishment of new facilities to support the assembly of light commercial vehicles and heavy-duty trucks. The move is part of a wider strategy to boost production by more than 30% and prepare for both current and future demand in the Mexican market.
“This month we began the refurbishment of a new space where we will assemble our family of light commercial vehicles and heavy trucks. With this investment, we expand our capacity by more than 30%, which will allow us to increase production of our SUV and Pick Up models in both combustion and electric versions,” said Martín Gutiérrez, Plant General Manager at Giant Motors Latin America, the assembler responsible for JAC vehicle production in Mexico.
”We are about to open additional assembly lines, which will bring us to a capacity of 60,000 units, and that will allow us to have enough capacity for what Mexico requires”
- Isidoro Massri, General Director of JAC Motors, Mexico
New goals, new assembly lines
The expansion will add new assembly lines with a targeted output of up to 60,000 units annually. This figure aligns with JAC’s ambition to grow vehicle sales in Mexico to 30,000 units in 2024, building on the 23,000 sold the previous year.
“We are about to open additional assembly lines, which will bring us to a capacity of 60,000 units, and that will allow us to have enough capacity for what Mexico requires, but ready for where we want to be in the next five to seven years, and to be prepared as a Mexican assembly plant for the domestic market,” explained Isidoro Massri, General Director of JAC Motors in Mexico.
Designed with flexibility at its core, the new production lines will be capable of handling both internal combustion and electric drivetrains, across light and heavy vehicle segments. The updated lines will begin operation in the second half of 2024, at which point the facility will run both existing and expanded production areas in parallel.
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The GLM production system and improved vehcile production efficiencies
The project is also intended to reinforce operational efficiency, following the principles of the GML Production System used across Giant Motors Latin America’s operations. In this phase of development, the company aims to support a broader portfolio of vehicles, including its X series of trucks and vans.
“We are ready for this challenge: to transform our new facilities into a flexible production plant, where we will assemble the X series -X200, X350, X12000-, our imposing K7 and the Sunray family,” Gutiérrez wrote on LinkedIn.
This expansion reflects a broader pattern in the automotive industry as Chinese and joint-venture OEMs scale up operations in Mexico, attracted by its strategic location, cost advantages and increasing domestic demand. By combining flexible manufacturing systems with a targeted market focus, JAC Motors appears well positioned to secure a larger share of this evolving landscape.
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