ASH8

Mazda's waiting for Export Ujina Plant, Hiroshima


Mazda Motor Corp. today suspended U.S. dealer orders for vehicles made in Japan, as it prepares to shutter plants again after a brief reopening.

The suspension affects the May allocation for Mazda's U.S. sales network, spokesman Jay Amestoy said. He said it was uncertain when dealer orders will resume.

Japan's automakers have been forced to close plants across the country following this month's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis that has damaged factories, disrupted parts supplies and forced rolling blackouts to conserve electricity.

Mazda imports the Mazda2, Mazda3, MX-5 Miata, RX-8, CX-7, CX-9, and Mazda5 from Japan.

"This is just about when dealers would start to order cars for May's allocation," Amestoy said. "It's a timing thing."

Inventory in 'decent shape'

Mazda's plants in Hiroshima and Hofu were idled from March 14 through March 21 before resuming temporary production three days ago using parts in stock. The plants are scheduled to be idled again starting Monday.

Mazda's assembly plants are farther from the earthquake zone than other automakers' factories, except one Toyota plant and one Nissan factory on the southernmost island of Kyushu.

Amestoy said the automaker is "in decent shape" with current U.S. stockpiles, though he declined to give details.

"We're fairly comfortable at the moment," Amestoy said. "We have a good supply and mix of models, trims and colors."

The automaker's U.S. sales are up 3 percent through February in a market that has advanced 23 percent.

Mazda had a 94-day supply of vehicles in dealer stocks as of March 1, down from 123 days on Feb. 1, according to the Automotive News Data Center. A 60-day supply is considered normal.

Unlike its bigger rivals, who assemble most of the vehicles they sell in the United States, Mazda imports the majority of vehicles it sells.

In 2010, imports accounted for about 83 percent of the brand's U.S. sales. The Mazda3 compact sedan, the brand's best-selling car, accounted for about 46 percent of Mazda's U.S. demand last year.

Dealers held a 102-day supply of the Mazda3 on March 1, down from the 160-day level of Feb. 1.

Dealers can still order the Mazda6 midsize sedan and Tribute crossover.

The Mazda6 is built at the Auto Alliance International plant in Flat Rock, Mich., and the Tribute is assembled at Ford Motor Co.'s plant near Kansas City, Mo

ASH8

This issue for Mazda is not Parts Supply, but a reliable POWER supply.

HONSHU island has been having rolling 3 hour blackouts, as has most of Japan.

Makes it very difficult to produce when they lose a third of a shift with no power.

THIS IS Extremely serious for Mazda and Japan if this continues for too long..

HiFlite999

iTrader: (2)

What is not commonly realized is the even under normal conditions, the Japanese main power grid is a mess. First, having no natural resources to speak of, the installed generating capacity has little reserve. Summertime electric rates are considerably higher than winter and major users can sometimes simply not contract for enough to be fully operational in the summer. Second, the west half of the main island is on 60 hz, the east on 50 hz, effectively preventing shipping excess capacity from the undamaged west to the compromised east. Third, have limited capacity on high KVA lines. (Oddly, energy efficiency is one reason for this: switching type transformers (like bricks for your laptop) run at high frequency which gets into the mains and enhances "skin effect", thus reducing the line's capacity.)

So, yep, power will be a problem for some time - especially this summer when airconditioners are trying to run full blast.

monchie

So sad on what's going on over there this time.

ASH8

Yes it is very sad, I have a supplier of Die Cast model cars, etc in Japan which I have regularly ordered from for many years, I was shocked today to see his website and business CLOSED, it was in the tsunami destruction. The owner of HW Japan had been in business since 1961.

I have no idea about his staff and their safety who I was familiar with...this 'reality' became so much more personal for me today...
http://www.hwjapan.com/

ASH8

Also with manufacturing (not just Cars but everything in Japan) workers can not even drive to work as there is a shortage of gasoline, not only because of tsunami and sea water contamination, but also no electricity means no bowser pumps..

Grimm0ne

iTrader: (3)

It sucks, but what can they do. I hope and pray for the people over, such a shame, the wife has donated to the RedCross for them and I plan on doing so as well.

they will bounce back, they done it in the past.

STL05

Yeah not good at all. Lets hope its not another Chernobyl event..... 25 yrs ago still the red forest is 10000 times the legal limit on radiation and if that plutonium reactor goes it will be so much more damaging to a country already stricken. Mazda will be fine... I hope.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

the problem is each troubled reactor in Japan is at least 2 times bigger than the Chernobyl one ... and there is 6 of them around "there"

if one goes down, all of them are pretty much "going down" at the same time.

if things go bad, they might try to do what former USSR did ----- have tons of ppl keep pouring sand and concrete to seal the plant, but it will be MUCH harder since its so much bigger.