Ford JV Constructs New Passenger Car Plant In China
Published:24-September-2009
By Staff Reporter
Initially, the new plant will be capable of producing 150,000 units a year, increasing total annual production capacity to 600,000 units by 2012
Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA), Ford Motor's joint venture in China, is building a new passenger car plant in China with an investment of $490m. The plant is slated for completion in 2012.
Initially, the new plant will be capable of producing 150,000 units a year, increasing total annual production capacity at CFMA operations to 600,000 units by 2012, to help meet increasing demand for Ford brands in China.
The new plant will be located in Chongqing's New North Zone industrial complex. The plant will commence manufacturing the company's next-generation Ford Focus in 2012. Ford's Focus, which is scheduled to be launched in January 2010 at the North American International Auto Show, will be built on the company's new global C-car platform.
John Parker, executive vice president and president of Asia Pacific and African operations at Ford Motor, said: "This new passenger car facility represents a significant next step in the ongoing expansion plan of Ford's Asia Pacific and Africa region and underscores the central role of our China operations."
In addition to the car manufacturing plant already operational in Chongqing, where Ford Focus, Ford Mondeo and Ford S-MAX are built, the joint venture has a manufacturing facility in Nanjing, China, where the new global Ford Fiesta is built.
The new 1-million-plus-square-meter assembly plant will be fully integrated to support stamping, body assembly, paint, trim and final assembly.
Ford's EcoBoost engines combine turbocharging and direct-injection technology to deliver fuel consumption and CO2 emissions reduction of up to 20% versus conventional, larger-displacement gasoline engines with similar power output. By 2013, Ford will be producing 1.3 million EcoBoost engines annually on a global basis for application across various vehicles from small cars to light trucks.
