Ford invests R2.5billion on Everest range production

Ford Motor Company has announced it will be investing R2.5-billion to expand operations in South Africa at its Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, South Africa, to produce the new Ford Everest along with the new Ford Ranger that was launched at the end of last year.

The new Everest range will be extended to include 2.2-litre and 3.2-litre derivatives, with production commencing at Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria in third quarter 2016. This investment, says Ford will create approximately 1200 new jobs at Ford South Africa and within the South African supplier network.

Reacting on the development, Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president and president of Europe, Middle East and Africa had this to say, “Our customers love the capability and utility offered by the all-new Ford Everest,” “By producing the Everest in South Africa, we will be able to make it more readily available, and in a greater variety of models, for customers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

He said the R2.5-billion investment reaffirms the importance of these markets as part of our growth strategy across the Middle East and Africa,” Farley added. “It further reinforces South Africa’s position as a strategic export base for Ford Motor Company.”

The Silverton facility joins AutoAlliance Thailand in Rayong; Ford’s Chennai plant in India (where it is sold as the Endeavor) and the JMC Xiaolan Plant in Nanchang, China, as production hubs for the Everest.

Initial production at Silverton of the Everest will commence in the third quarter of 2016, with the first units expected to come to market in the fourth quarter. South African-produced models will be sold locally and exported to markets across Sub-Saharan Africa.

At the Silverton plant, Ford is aiming toward producing 10,000 Everest’s per annum. Currently, the all-new Everest is imported from Thailand, using the locally produced 3.2-litre five-cylinder Duratorq TDCi engine (built at Ford’s Struandale Engine Plant in Port Elizabeth).

It is only available in South Africa in 3.2 Automatic guise in two specification levels of XLT and the range-topping Limited. With the commencement of local production, a 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi four-cylinder diesel engine will be added to the range, along with a wider spread of specification levels.

Company sources say the all-new Everest has been extremely well received since it was launched in September last year, with demand far outstripping supply.

“This crucial investment will enable us to increase volumes and expand the Everest range to eight derivatives across a broader price range,” said Jeff Nemeth, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company Sub-Saharan Africa Region.

Nemeth noted it will allow customers across Sub-Saharan Africa to choose from two powerful engines mated to robust six-speed automatic or manual transmissions for exceptional capability.

In recent years, say Ford, Africa has emerged as an increasingly important region for its business, with continued investment and growth.

Recall that in 2008, Ford announced plans to build the Ford Ranger at its Silverton Assembly Plant with an investment of R3.4 billion. It is exported to 148 countries in Africa, Middle East and Europe, while engines and machined components are supplied to Argentina, Thailand, North America, India and China.