Ford -- 'maxed out' -- sees new plants, models boosting sales
Ford Motor Co., after posting its first monthly dip in China sales this year, says it expects to boost sales in the country once new assembly plants come online and new vehicles hit showrooms in the coming months.
Ford Motor Co., after posting its first monthly dip in China sales this year, says it expects to boost sales in the country once new assembly plants come online and new vehicles hit showrooms in the coming months.
The U.S. carmaker and its Chinese joint ventures sold 95,875 vehicles in China in September, down 0.2 percent from the same period a year earlier.
That follows a 9 percent year-on-year rise in August and double-digit growth in all previous months of 2014.
"We're maxed out," Ford spokeswoman Claire Li said, referring to capacity constraints that are crimping Ford's sales in the world's biggest auto market.
She said new assembly plants in Hangzhou and Chongqing would ease supply pressures, without providing specific sales targets for the months ahead.
The Chongqing plant will open late this year with annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles, while the Hangzhou plant will build as many as 250,000 vehicles a year after it begins production next year.
By the end of 2015, Ford planned to boost its annual production capacity in China to 1.5 million vehicles, reflecting its sales expectations at that time.
Li said there was no sales forecast for next year, although Ford's policy was to align capacity with sales expectations.
In the first nine months, Ford's sales totaled 813,412 vehicles, up 26 percent from the same period a year earlier, the carmaker said on Friday.
Ford's China sales have been bolstered by two SUV models, the Ford Kuga and EcoSport.
"We look forward to our continued growth in China as we prepare to launch our new assembly plants ... [and] new nameplates such as the Ford Escort and the Ford Mustang within the next few months," Ford China Chairman John Lawler said in a statement.
Ford also plans to launch its premium Lincoln brand in China this month, with plans to open eight Lincoln retail outlets in seven Chinese cities starting this month.
Ford makes vehicles in China in partnership with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. and Jiangling Motors Corp.
The U.S. carmaker and its Chinese joint ventures sold 95,875 vehicles in China in September, down 0.2 percent from the same period a year earlier.
That follows a 9 percent year-on-year rise in August and double-digit growth in all previous months of 2014.
"We're maxed out," Ford spokeswoman Claire Li said, referring to capacity constraints that are crimping Ford's sales in the world's biggest auto market.
She said new assembly plants in Hangzhou and Chongqing would ease supply pressures, without providing specific sales targets for the months ahead.
The Chongqing plant will open late this year with annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles, while the Hangzhou plant will build as many as 250,000 vehicles a year after it begins production next year.
By the end of 2015, Ford planned to boost its annual production capacity in China to 1.5 million vehicles, reflecting its sales expectations at that time.
Li said there was no sales forecast for next year, although Ford's policy was to align capacity with sales expectations.
In the first nine months, Ford's sales totaled 813,412 vehicles, up 26 percent from the same period a year earlier, the carmaker said on Friday.
Ford's China sales have been bolstered by two SUV models, the Ford Kuga and EcoSport.
"We look forward to our continued growth in China as we prepare to launch our new assembly plants ... [and] new nameplates such as the Ford Escort and the Ford Mustang within the next few months," Ford China Chairman John Lawler said in a statement.
Ford also plans to launch its premium Lincoln brand in China this month, with plans to open eight Lincoln retail outlets in seven Chinese cities starting this month.
Ford makes vehicles in China in partnership with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. and Jiangling Motors Corp.
