Ford says that it will be increasing production at its plants across North America in the coming weeks. The automaker plans to grow manufacturing capacity for vehicles like the Mustang Mach-E, the F-150 Lightning, the Bronco Sport, and the Maverick.
The Blue Oval says that it is America’s top-selling brand through February, thanks to its firm position as the nation’s largest truck and SUV brand. In particular, though, it says that EV sales are up 68 percent so far this year.
In response, the automaker will increase production of the Mustang Mach-E, which is made in Mexico. The changes, introduced this week, will allow Ford to nearly double its hourly production. As a result, it expects to bring its annual manufacturing rate to 210,000 by the end of the 2023.
Read: Ford Slashes Mach-E Prices By Up To $5,900 In Response To Tesla
In addition, it plans to restart F-150 Lightning production on March 13, and Ford anticipates that it will build three times more of the electric truck in 2023 than it did in 2022. It expects to have an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles by the end of the year, which will cost it $2 billion across three plants in Michigan to achieve.
Ford will also add more workers at its plant in Kansas City in April, where the Transit and E-Transit are built. It aims to build an additional 38,000 vehicles per year at the plant, which should help it fill a recently announced purchase order from the U.S. Postal Service. That will cost the automaker $95 million, and add 1,100 union jobs.
Demand isn’t only strong for Ford’s electric vehicles, though. It is also working to increase production of the Bronco Sport and Maverick, which it hopes to raise by 80,000 units this year. At its Dearborn, Michigan, plant, meanwhile, it is looking for ways to increase production of the F-150 and F-150 Powerboost hybrid.
“We have had a strong start to 2023 sales, and we are moving to fast-track quality production,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, Ford Blue. “Increasing production benefits both our customers and our business.”
