Torslandaverken
Encyclopedia
The Torslanda Plant is one of the largest production facilities of Volvo Cars
and is located in Torslanda
on the island of Hisingen
, about 12 km north west of Gothenburg
city centre. The plant turned 40 on April 24, 2004. under the motto "Increased capacity – for ever-higher quality."
Containing 200,000 square metres of factory floorspace at its inception, production capacity was originally planned at 110,000 cars a year in single-shift operation, with the possibility of increasing to 150,000 cars in two-shift operation. The annual production record from 1973, when 178,000 cars left the factory, still held, as of 2004.
The plant was inaugurated on Friday 24 April 1964, with production beginning in the TA plant (press-shop/body production factory), the TB plant (paintshop) and the TC plant (final assembly).
Volvo’s President Gunnar Engellau, Doctor of Engineering Gustav Larson
(one of Volvo’s two founders, the other co-founder, Assar Gabrielsson
, having died two years before), and Swedish king Gustaf VI Adolf
were on hand for the inauguration.
The first car manufactured was an Amazon
, while the PV544 was never built in Torslanda. The Volvo 144, and a completely new model, was launched into production in late summer 1966.
Production ceased in Volvo Lundby plant in 1973 with the demise of the Volvo 1800ES. Torslanda production was supported by operations in Canada
at Volvo Halifax Assembly
and Volvo Kalmar Assembly
and later with plants in North America (Chesapeake, Virginia), and later Ghent
, Belgium.
Originally employing about 2500 people the plant became Sweden’s largest workplace . Currently, a workforce of about 5000 can produce the current capacity of 170,000 cars.
Today, the plant builds the XC90s with the S80, V70 and XC70, and V60 — all on the P24 platform — (excluding the XC90 which is P2 platform); with robots performing almost 100 percent of all welding operations. The paintshop was at the time of its commission in the 1990s the cleanest in the automotive world. Recent investments allow a long-term capacity of 230,000 cars a year.
Volvo Cars
Volvo Car Corporation, or Volvo Personvagnar AB, is a Swedish automobile manufacturer founded in 1927, in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Volvo was originally formed as a subsidiary company to the ball bearing maker SKF. When Volvo AB was introduced on the Swedish...
and is located in Torslanda
Torslanda
Torslanda is an urban district and a locality situated in Göteborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 10,129 inhabitants in 2005.-The Volvo Torslanda Plant:...
on the island of Hisingen
Hisingen
Hisingen is the fourth-largest island of Sweden , with an area of , and the most populous, forming part of Gothenburg Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is bordered by the Göta älv in the south and east, the Nordre älv in the north, and the Kattegat in the west...
, about 12 km north west of Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
city centre. The plant turned 40 on April 24, 2004. under the motto "Increased capacity – for ever-higher quality."
History
Success and expansion in the latter 1950s led management to begin planning for the Torslanda Plant in 1959 in a rural area that had been intended by city planners as a future industrial use. As well, infrastructure had already been in place, the port and the open sea were nearby, and the city of Göteborg’s airport was also located in Torslanda.Containing 200,000 square metres of factory floorspace at its inception, production capacity was originally planned at 110,000 cars a year in single-shift operation, with the possibility of increasing to 150,000 cars in two-shift operation. The annual production record from 1973, when 178,000 cars left the factory, still held, as of 2004.
The plant was inaugurated on Friday 24 April 1964, with production beginning in the TA plant (press-shop/body production factory), the TB plant (paintshop) and the TC plant (final assembly).
Volvo’s President Gunnar Engellau, Doctor of Engineering Gustav Larson
Gustav Larson
Erik Gustaf Larson was a Swedish engineer and co-founder of Volvo.Family: Married to Elin Octavia Fröberg, 1918. Four children: Erik, Anders, Gunnel and Britt....
(one of Volvo’s two founders, the other co-founder, Assar Gabrielsson
Assar Gabrielsson
Assar Thorvald Nathanael Gabrielsson was a Swedish industrialist and co-founder of Volvo.- Family :He married Anna Theresia Andreasson in 1916...
, having died two years before), and Swedish king Gustaf VI Adolf
Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
Gustaf VI Adolf - Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf - was King of Sweden from October 29, 1950 until his death. His official title was King of Sweden, of the Goths and of the Wends. He was the eldest son of King Gustaf V and his wife Victoria of Baden...
were on hand for the inauguration.
The first car manufactured was an Amazon
Volvo Amazon
The Volvo Amazon was a mid-size car manufactured by Volvo Cars from 1956 to 1970, and introduced in the USA, as the 122S at the New York International Auto Show in April 1959....
, while the PV544 was never built in Torslanda. The Volvo 144, and a completely new model, was launched into production in late summer 1966.
Production ceased in Volvo Lundby plant in 1973 with the demise of the Volvo 1800ES. Torslanda production was supported by operations in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at Volvo Halifax Assembly
Volvo Halifax Assembly
The Volvo Halifax Assembly Plant located in Halifax, Nova Scotia was opened on 11 June 1963 by H.R.H Prince Bertil. It was the only North American assembly plant Volvo ever opened. Volvo decided to open to the plant to bypass hefty North American import tariffs on foreign goods and to capitalize...
and Volvo Kalmar Assembly
Volvo Kalmar Assembly
The Volvo Kalmar plant was opened in 1973 just outside Kalmar, Sweden. The Kalmar plant was one of the most revolutionary automotive production plants in the world. Using Volvo Halifax Assembly and Volvo Torslanda Assembly as examples the Kalmar plant also adopted the group assembly system.At...
and later with plants in North America (Chesapeake, Virginia), and later Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, Belgium.
Originally employing about 2500 people the plant became Sweden’s largest workplace . Currently, a workforce of about 5000 can produce the current capacity of 170,000 cars.
Today, the plant builds the XC90s with the S80, V70 and XC70, and V60 — all on the P24 platform — (excluding the XC90 which is P2 platform); with robots performing almost 100 percent of all welding operations. The paintshop was at the time of its commission in the 1990s the cleanest in the automotive world. Recent investments allow a long-term capacity of 230,000 cars a year.