7/19/2015
Latest from Ford :
Ford has announced the end of Focus and C-Max production at the Michigan Assembly plant in 2018. The change coincides with a 2018 model-year redesign for both vehicles, suggesting that the next-gen Focus and C-Max will be built at another plant. Ford did not announce what vehicle might go into the plant to replace the Focus and C-Max.
With UAW talks scheduled to begin on July 23, it seems unlikely that Ford will shutter the factory and idle over 4,000 workers. The plant's third shift has been cut, and some jobs have been trimmed, but the Michigan Assembly plant is also one of the few Ford plants that boasts excess capacity. Ford has also said that it has no plans to close the factory. Automotive News reports that this could be part of a plan to shift Fiesta production to Thailand and move all Focus production to Ford's Cuautitlan, Mexico plant.
The 2015 Ford Focus is currently produced in nine plants worldwide, and sells over a million units annually worldwide. In North America, however, Focus and C-Max sales are down during the first half of 2015. Lower gas prices have been cutting into demand for small cars and hybrids, which is taking a bite out of sales.
Tag:
Ford