Kyodo
Nissan Motor Co. may operate some plants Thursdays and Fridays if production falls short of demand despite an industrywide plan to close plants on those days instead of Saturdays and Sundays starting in July, a senior official said Sunday.
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said last month its member firms will close their plants in Japan on Thursdays and Fridays to conserve energy on weekdays through September, but Honda Motor Co. exited the nonbinding plan over the weekend.
In the event it operates factories on the substitute holidays, Nissan will reduce electricity use by utilizing so-called smart meters that help control consumption.
A Honda official said Saturday the company will operate some of its factories on two Thursdays in July.
But Nissan's move may attract more attention because the person who announced the JAMA plan was its chief operating officer, Toshiyuki Shiga, who is also chairman of the association.