Nissan’s Powertrain Facility in Decherd Produces 10 Millionth Engine

The team at Nissan’s Decherd Powertrain Plant has recently celebrated a huge milestone—the production of the facility’s 10 millionth engine.

This 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine will be assembled into a Nissan Altima slated to be built at the Japanese automaker’s Smyrna Vehicle Assembly Plant. The fuel-efficient QR 4-cylinder is claimed as the highest volume engine assembled in Decherd. Apart from Altima, which offers best-in-class* standard highway fuel economy of 39 mpg, the QR engine also powers the renowned Nissan Rogue crossover. Last year, the car’s sales topped 287,000 in the United States last year, making it Nissan’s second best-selling model in the region behind Altima.

Nissan started powertrain assembly in Decherd in 1997. To date, the company’s workforce of over 1,600 produces 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines, as well as eMotors, for the comprehensive lineup of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles built in the USA. The facility also houses cylinder block casting and crankshaft forging operations, making it one of the most intricate powertrain plants in America.

According to Gary Edwards, vice president of Nissan’s U.S. Powertrain Operations and Battery Plant, producing 10 million engines is a huge number for any facility, but hitting this milestone in less than 19 years is a real proof to the strength and dedication of their workforce. “I’m proud of our team, the high-quality engines we build and the important contribution we have made to Nissan’s success in North America.”

Last year, the Nissan plant in Decherd produced 964,000 engines, including eMotors. By comparison, the facility assembled 162,000 engines in 1998 during its full year of operation.

Apart from the QR 4-cylinder, Nissan Decherd also produces award-winning VQ 6-cylinder engines for a Nissan lineup including the Maxima, Altima, Pathfinder, Murano, Frontier, NV Cargo and passenger vans, as well as the Infiniti QX60. The facility takes pride in its highly powerful ZH 8-cylinder engine that supports production of Nissan’s Patrol full-size SUV, TITAN full-size pickup and NV Cargo and Passenger vans.