Photo: Ford
Carmakers across the world are grappling with excessively long delivery times caused by components shortages and supply chain problems. Ford had to close the order books for Fiesta and Focus, its most popular European models.
Closing the order books does not necessarily mean customers won’t be able to buy a Focus or a Fiesta. Until the situation improves, Ford customers will only be able to order pre-configured models, according to Automotive News’ sister publication Automobilwoche. The decision to severely restrict the availability of the two models for ordering was taken because of the long delivery times that stretch for up to 12 months for specific configurations.
“Due to the good customer demand [...] we currently have delivery times of up to 12 months in some cases for various model series,” a Ford spokesperson told Automobilwoche. “We closed free order availability for our dealers on the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta, among others, some time ago. However, we are offering available production volume to our dealers in the form of pre-specified units based on customer demand.”
By restricting customer choices for the most popular models in the European market, Ford hopes to improve production efficiency. Building fewer configurations surely helps since Ford can choose what trims and features can be built at scale. Because of shortages and supply chain bottlenecks, Ford’s main factory in Saarlouis, Germany, is projected to make only 117,000 Focus cars this year, down from the 195,000 originally planned.
The plant plans to produce 143,000 units in 2023, but this level is not guaranteed. The semiconductor shortages and energy market uncertainties put a big question mark on Ford’s plans for its German plants. The Saarlouis plant was sidelined following Ford’s reorganization into three distinct divisions.
According to Automotive News, Ford has decided that new electric cars would be built in Valencia, Spain, leaving plant workers worried about the future. Ford also recently announced a significant cut in the number of workers, with most of the affected jobs at the Ford Blue division responsible for building ICE cars like the Focus and Fiesta.
“Due to the good customer demand [...] we currently have delivery times of up to 12 months in some cases for various model series,” a Ford spokesperson told Automobilwoche. “We closed free order availability for our dealers on the Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta, among others, some time ago. However, we are offering available production volume to our dealers in the form of pre-specified units based on customer demand.”
By restricting customer choices for the most popular models in the European market, Ford hopes to improve production efficiency. Building fewer configurations surely helps since Ford can choose what trims and features can be built at scale. Because of shortages and supply chain bottlenecks, Ford’s main factory in Saarlouis, Germany, is projected to make only 117,000 Focus cars this year, down from the 195,000 originally planned.
The plant plans to produce 143,000 units in 2023, but this level is not guaranteed. The semiconductor shortages and energy market uncertainties put a big question mark on Ford’s plans for its German plants. The Saarlouis plant was sidelined following Ford’s reorganization into three distinct divisions.
According to Automotive News, Ford has decided that new electric cars would be built in Valencia, Spain, leaving plant workers worried about the future. Ford also recently announced a significant cut in the number of workers, with most of the affected jobs at the Ford Blue division responsible for building ICE cars like the Focus and Fiesta.
Google News