Ford Will Stop Building Focus And C-Max In Michigan Starting 2018 - Top Speed
production at the Michigan Assembly plant in 2018. The change coincides with a 2018 model-year redesign for both vehicles, suggesting that the next-gen Focus and C-Max will be built at another plant. Ford did not announce what vehicle might go into the plant to replace the Focus and C-Max. With UAW talks scheduled to begin on July 23, it seems unlikely that Ford will shutter the factory and idle over 4,000 workers. The plant’s third shift has been cut, and some jobs have been trimmed, but the Michigan Assembly plant is also one of the few Ford plants that boasts excess capacity. The Detroit Free Press speculates that Ford could be planning to use the plant for additional capacity to produce the 2014 Ford Escape. With a number of other manufacturers moving production to Mexico as well, analysts are also considering that this may be a strongarm tactic to give Ford an advantage in the upcoming UAW talks. Source: www.topspeed.com
