Ford shipped 9 829 locally manufactured Rangers to over 100 international markets during September making it the leading exporter.
It is highest export volume for the year, surpassing the 8 595 units exported in June 2022. Combined with domestic sales of 1 604 units, total Ranger volume for September reached 11 433 units.
“It’s encouraging to see that global demand for the current Ranger remains high even during its run-out phase and despite the challenges we have faced over the past two years,” says Dhiren Vanmali, Executive Sales Operations Director.
“The global automotive industry remains severely constrained owing to the ongoing chip shortage and the lingering disruption to shipping logistics as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Vanmali says. “Accordingly, our operations have been hampered by numerous supply constraints throughout this year, and our production facilities haven’t been able to run at full capacity.
“However, the situation is improving thanks to the hard work and dedication of our purchasing, manufacturing and logistics teams as well as our supplier network, and this is reflected in our export results for September,” Vanmali says. “It bodes well for the upcoming and exciting launch of our Next-Gen Ranger, which remains on track for the end of the fourth quarter this year.”
Ford invested R15.8-billion in its Silverton Assembly Plant operations and supplier tooling for the Next-Gen Ranger, which is now capable of producing up to 200 000 vehicles a year.
An additional R600-million was invested in the Struandale Engine Plant in Gqeberha for the launch of the new 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine that will power the range-topping Next-Gen Ranger models. It also introduced updated versions of the current 2.0-litre Single Turbo and Bi-Turbo engines that are assembled at the Struandale plant and which will be the mainstay of the new Ranger line-up.
Ford has also received unprecedented customer interest in the Next-Gen Everest, as well as for the powerful Next-Gen Ranger Raptor, which will be launched in the first quarter of 2023. With the Silverton Assembly Plant expanding its Ranger production, the Next-Gen Everest and Ranger Raptor are now fully imported from Thailand instead of being locally assembled, as was the case with the outgoing range.
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) announced its participation in the sixth annual Smarter Mobility Africa summit, which kicked of 1 October and continues till the 4 October at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
South Africa’s first electric minibus taxi model, the eKamva, was launched by a consortium led by GoMetro, alongside an integrated new electric vehicle (EV) business model and charging infrastructure product called flx EV at the Smarter Mobility Africa summit.
A modest increase in passenger car sales in an overall market that continued its downward trend in September 2024 offered hope that the market may be slowly turning, says National Automobile Dealers Association (Nada) national chairperson, Brandon Cohen.
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A light on my car’s dashboard came on, and instead of fixing the problem, I waited for the bulb to burn out. Crisis solved.
Jarod Kintz
The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) announced its participation in the sixth annual Smarter Mobility Africa summit, which kicked of 1 October and continues till the 4 October at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
A modest increase in passenger car sales in an overall market that continued its downward trend in September 2024 offered hope that the market may be slowly turning, says National Automobile Dealers Association (Nada) national chairperson, Brandon Cohen.
The National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM), in partnership with the Toyota Wessels Institute of Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS), held a breakfast seminar for NAACAM members and key stakeholders from the public and private sector.
