Question about Ford production facilities.

[rwolfcastle]

This will probably be obvious with my question, but I know nothing about how the mfg industry works. Hoping someone with insight could fill me in...

I'm wondering why a company like Ford that has extremely popular trucks they can't make fast enough would choose to add another popular truck to the exact same production line? Why build next gen Ranger in same place as Bronco? I realize building another facility is not trivial but you'd think with their struggles to keep up, they'd at least have another one in the works.

I also know Bronco and Ranger are built off the same platform so that makes sense but it still seems like more facilities are needed around the world to keep up. It just feels like we're going to live in this world of back-orders forever.

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[AzScorpion]

This will probably be obvious with my question, but I know nothing about how the mfg industry works. Hoping someone with insight could fill me in...

I'm wondering why a company like Ford that has extremely popular trucks they can't make fast enough would choose to add another popular truck to the exact same production line? Why build next gen Ranger in same place as Bronco? I realize building another facility is not trivial but you'd think with their struggles to keep up, they'd at least have another one in the works.

I also know Bronco and Ranger are built off the same platform so that makes sense but it still seems like more facilities are needed around the world to keep up. It just feels like we're going to live in this world of back-orders forever.

Yes they do share the same platform so that makes it more productive to have them built together. Also before all these shortages they could build something like 300-500 units a day depending on how many shifts and whether or not they had weekends available. Now with all these constraints it might look like they're not building them fast enough but they can only built what parts they have available to them. Basically you can't build what you don't have parts for. If they opened another plant just for the Bronco then they'd have workers with nothing to do at times because now they only have Broncos to build. At least now they can still work rotating between the two. Then add in more operational costs with the building, insurance and utilities and it's a recipe for disaster.

Plus when they planned the Bronco launch they had no idea Covid and all these constraints were going to hit them all at once. It's like getting punched in the face twice in the same year. If this was pre 2020 none of this would be an issue and we'd have seen Rangers and Broncos filling dealers lots like when I bought mine in 2019. I had over 25 different Rangers of all colors and models to chose from. Of course I picked the best color Saber, right @Friday yet? ?

 

[Ranger#5?]

They're not adding another truck, just replacing 5G with 6G production. Time will tell if the new truck is as popular as the outgoing model. As already pointed out, the 6G shares much with the Bronco which theoretically should streamline the building process and reduce costs.

 

[Scooter]

The NA market demands many options on their vehicles. It would be much easier to produce the Ranger models if they were built as packages. The ROW models do not have as many option, thus easier to build.

 

[RedlandRanger]

The NA market demands many options on their vehicles. It would be much easier to produce the Ranger models if they were built as packages. The ROW models do not have as many option, thus easier to build.

They have more trim levels, but are you saying each trim level in the ROW models have fewer options/packages to choose from? Honestly, I don't think there are THAT many choices for NA models. Each of the 3 trim levels only have 2 or 3 packages (2 for XL, 3 for XLT and 2 for Lariat). That doesn't seem to be that complex. I've seen a lot of other manufacturers giving TONS of individual options for vehicles. It seems Ford has streamlined theirs quite a bit - what am I missing?

 

[Scooter]

If you look on an Australian Ford site using postal code 2000 you can see their options. Then look at NA 5G's options.
You have always had the XL,XLT, Lariat and those models will continue on that way in NA. Far more add on's in NA.
The ROW does get more engine options.

The Bronco has 7 models and seems every 6 months they come up with a new package. ie Heritage addition. You can option the shit out of the Bronco. I could order 3 different gear ratio's in the Bronco. I could order a manual or standard transmission. 2.3L, 2.7L, 3.0L and on and on with options.

In Chevy's dedicated small truck plant they only will be offering one engine option and only the Crew Cab or what ever Chevy calls it.

Since I can have choice's in NA, Ford how bout you offer another Diff Gearing option on the Ranger. 2.7L would be nice.

 

[MJE]

I’ve often wondered the same question. If they can’t produce enough Broncos why put more product into that plant, even if it’s on the same platform? But of course the answers are well thought out here. If they could make enough Rangers to amortize the capital cost of another plant, they’d be building one, or retooling an existing one that’s closed and/or underutilized. If they could get enough parts they’d probably just run more shifts at the Michigan plant first. But if the business case was there for more capacity they would as in the case of the F150 is produced in both Dearborn & Kansas City.

Actually there’s an interesting thought too. Kansas City produces the F150 & Transit, 2 pretty unrelated models. I can see platform commonality making sense to share a plant for Bronco/Ranger, but how do they do assembly lines in a plant where the products are fairly unrelated? Two totally separate lines? Or is there still enough commonality to make sense?

 

[CB750F]

Make less, charge more? No! can't be.

 

[Scooter]

Ford is very dedicated to their Dealers. You learnt that through Ford's flip flop of the people reserving Bronco's when it was launched. Allocation.

 

[Ranger#5?]

I’ve often wondered the same question. If they can’t produce enough Broncos why put more product into that plant, even if it’s on the same platform? But of course the answers are well thought out here. If they could make enough Rangers to amortize the capital cost of another plant, they’d be building one, or retooling an existing one that’s closed and/or underutilized. If they could get enough parts they’d probably just run more shifts at the Michigan plant first. But if the business case was there for more capacity they would as in the case of the F150 is produced in both Dearborn & Kansas City.

Actually there’s an interesting thought too. Kansas City produces the F150 & Transit, 2 pretty unrelated models. I can see platform commonality making sense to share a plant for Bronco/Ranger, but how do they do assembly lines in a plant where the products are fairly unrelated? Two totally separate lines? Or is there still enough commonality to make sense?

Seems there might be a little confusion here. Ford was already mass producing the 5G Ranger in factory BEFORE the revived Bronco was introduced. Bronco products were added, not Ranger- and Rangers were selling at ~97k annually as recently as 2021 if memory serves correct. Don't have it in front of me but monthly and yearly reports are made public by Ford and these were posted to the Maverick forum when I was still invested in researching and purchasing 1. After ordering mine in Dec 2021 my interest grew in following 6G Ranger to determine if it checks more boxes than the Maverick. We still don't know what internal forecasts look like for 6G Ranger but I would expect it to surpass the 5G that was already an old platform not designed to NA market.

 

[Scooter]

I am curious now. What was Ford doing with the MAP from 2012 to 2017. End of 4G start of 5G Ranger.

 

[Ranger#5?]

I am curious now. What was Ford doing with the MAP from 2012 to 2017. End of 4G start of 5G Ranger.

Just gonna guess here... Making passenger cars there? Ford has been reshuffling and repurposing factories as they exited car business in NA and dedicated more resources to EV stuff.

 

[Ranger_Pawl]

I am curious now. What was Ford doing with the MAP from 2012 to 2017. End of 4G start of 5G Ranger.

I believe it was the Focus and C-MAX.

 

[Scooter]

Here's some info on it. I did not realize the 4G Ranger was not built in the MAP factory.
The Ford Focus time line fits the MAP factory. 2010 to 2018 and C Max

Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant - The Ranger Station

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