Ford Targets 33% Hike in Global Capacity

Ford Motor Co. says it aims to increase its worldwide production capacity to 8 million vehicles annually from 6 million today in five years.

By 2017 the company expects to have about 80 assembly plants in operation globally, The list includes 14 added between 2011 and 2015 most of them in China, India and Russia.

Ford also intends to run 90% of its factories around the clock, up from two-thirds that do so currently. The move to three-shift operations will boost production efficiency 30%, according to the company.

Ford says it also will cut costs and boost efficiency by trimming the number of platforms needed for its lineup of cars and light-duty trucks to nine from 15 today. Fewer chassis will help the company improve the average number of models each factory can build simultaneously to four from three today.