New «Russian» Ford

Ford Motor Co. will launch full production at its Russian plant in June, after producing smaller initial batches of its Focus model for testing in rough Russian road conditions, the head of the company in Russia said Friday. About 500 cars will be made before June and given to corporate clients for rough handling, Henrik Nenzen said in St. Petersburg, according to Interfax news agency. Ford plans to make up to 5,000 cars a year at the Russian plant, and eventually ramp production up to 25,000 a year. The plant in the town of Vsevolozhsk in the St. Petersburg area, where Ford has invested $150 million, is technically capable of producing up to 100,000 vehicles annually, Interfax reported. The Dearborn, Mich.-based company plans to sell about 8,000 cars in Russia and Belarus this year, up from 4,124 in 2001 and 1,357 in 2000


Author: Neftegaz.RU