GS Yuasa to Build New Plant in Tianjin, China-To enhance production capacity of automotive lead-acid storage batteries-

GS Yuasa Corporation (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6674; “GS Yuasa”) will build a new plant for automotive lead-acid storage batteries in China. The new plant is currently under construction in an 180,000 m2 site, the largest in the GS Yuasa Group, located in the Nangang Industrial Zone in Tianjin and is scheduled to start operations in the summer of 2018.

The automobile industry in China has been growing continuously and the demand for start & stop vehicles and fuel-efficient cars is expected to expand rapidly given the tightening of exhaust emission regulations. The new plant will feature GS Yuasa’s latest technologies and facilities and will boost the production mainly of high-performance lead-acid storage batteries to be installed in these environmentally friendly vehicles. Furthermore, the company will transfer and consolidate the production of the existing plant in the city (Tianjin GS Battery Co., Ltd.) to the new plant to improve efficiency and streamline the operations. As a result, the new plant is expected to have an annual production capacity of as much as 8 million units, as the company makes a total investment of approximately 17.5 billion yen and aims to double the net sales.

GS Yuasa will enhance the supply system of automotive lead-acid storage batteries in China to address the future increase in demand and will strive to respond swiftly to customer needs.

Profile of Tianjin GS Battery Co., Ltd.

■Rendering of the new plant