Business at Ford’s manufacturing plant in Silverton Pretoria is getting back to normal but the risk of interrupted power supply remains, Ford says.
The problems arose when overhead powerlines collapsed over the N4 on 10 April after a huge storm that left large parts of Pretoria, especially in the eastern part of the city, without electricity. This included the Ford plant and related industries in the Ford supply chain.
Production was suspended on 11 April and restored in stages starting on the evening of April 12, when production has slowly resumed.
The estimated total loss of production during the down days was 1 440 units. and a dark picture of the impact of the shutdown for an extended period was sketched by Ford Africa’s president, Neale Hill.
Ford tells Dealerfloor that the scale of the Eskom infrastructure concern holds the risk of interrupted supply. “However, we continue to liaise with Eskom and local government as they work to balance the system and fully restore the network.”
The newly upgraded Silverton plant is currently the second largest in the world producing the new generation Ford Ranger as well as the Volkswagen Amarok, both for local consumption and export to more than 100 markets. More than 700 Ranger pick-ups are manufactured in Pretoria every day utilising three shifts working at the plant.
JLR reports growing demand for plug-in hybrid models, with global retail sales for the first half of the financial year up 29% compared to the prior year, as more customers use the technology as a stepping stone towards battery electric vehicles (BEV).
Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) called on the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, to announce measures in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) to ensure that a transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs) will result in the reduction of carbon emissions in the country.
The ratio of used to new vehicles financed increased in the second quarter of this year, indicating a growing consumer preference for used vehicles, according to TransUnion South Africa.
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I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
The ratio of used to new vehicles financed increased in the second quarter of this year, indicating a growing consumer preference for used vehicles, according to TransUnion South Africa.
October is Transport Month in South Africa and a time to focus on how important a role the sector plays in shaping our country’s economy and how to improve it.
The National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) acknowledges the Competition Commission of South Africa’s (CCSA) revised Automotive Aftermarket Guidelines, published at the end of September 2024.
