Ford to rev up output amid US auto rebound

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford will increase production of six models this year, half of them electric, as the company and the auto industry start to rebound from sluggish U.S. sales in 2022.

The automaker announced Friday that it plans to build more of the Mustang Mache, the Bronco Sport SUV and Maverick small pickup, the F-150 Lightning electric pickup and the Transit and E-transit gas and electric full-size vans.

To help increase production, the company last year said it would add a third shift and 1,100 jobs at its full-size van plant in Claycomo, Missouri, near Kansas City, and another 3,200 jobs involved in building the F-150 Lightning, which is made in Dearborn, Michigan.

Ford will also hire new workers this year at plants in Cuautitlan and Hermosillo, Mexico, where the Mach-e, Maverick and Bronco Sport are made, according to spokesman Said Deep.

Production line speeds will increase shortly to raise production, with more workers coming later, he said.

For more than two years, U.S. auto sales have been depressed largely due to a shortage of computer chips during the coronavirus pandemic. But the chip shortage is easing and automakers are starting to increase production and build supplies on dealer lots.

Overall in the U.S., auto sales fell almost 8% last year to just under 14 million, with Ford’s dropping just over 2%, according to Autodata Corp. But in February, overall industry sales rose 9.5% over the same month a year ago, according to LMC Automotive, which sees sales increasing to 15 million this year. Ford sales were up almost 22% in February.

“The industry is on its track back,” said Jeff Schuster, executive vice president of automotive for LMC and Global Data.

Sales are up this year for all the models that will see production increases.

The production jumps are good news for consumers, who have had long wait times for some more popular models and have been forced to pay high prices due to strong demand and short supplies.