By refreshed Ford understands an unprecedented roll-out of ""high-quality, fuel efficient and safe vehicles", also aimed at improving the manufacturer's product age average by 20 percent by 2012, Lewis Booth, Ford CFO said in a speech for the 2009 Management Briefing Seminars, quoted by just-auto.com.
"As we reduce costs, manage cash and increasingly leverage our 'One Ford' global product plan, our critical priority is protecting and enhancing our new vehicle pipeline," Booth was quoted as saying by the source.
"In the worst of economic times, we are taking the actions necessary not only to strengthen Ford's business but also to deliver world-class levels of product freshness globally," he continued.
To achieve its goal, Ford will also have to keep a close eye on its finances, if it wants to still survive without government backed bankruptcies. The company will try and reduce structural costs by $14bn to $15bn compared with 2005 and is on track for doing so, Booth said. New vehicle engineering costs have been reduced by 60 percent, while facility and tooling expenses have also decreased by 40 percent.
Within five year, all of Ford's global platforms will reach production levels of 680,000 units a year, nearly double from the current 345,000 output. By 2018, Ford will have 78 percent of its global volume built on core platforms. In 2007, that number stood at 27 percent.
Google News