Ford Ups Production of SUVs to Meet Demand
The Lincoln Navigator has exceeding sales expectations, with Lincoln dealers unable to keep to new Navigator in stock, the luxury SUVs spend an average of just seven days at the dealership before they are sold. Customers are trading in Land Rover and Mercedes vehicles in exchange for a Navigator, and nearly 85 percent of all Navigator buyers are choosing high-end Black Label and Reserve models.
The Ford Expedition also is off to a strong start, with the top-of-the-line Platinum trim models representing 29 percent of sales. Expedition retail sales were up nearly 57 percent last month and vehicles are spending just seven days on dealer lots.
The Kentucky Truck Plant’s advanced manufacturing technologies and tools are helping Ford upskill its workforce and deliver better quality vehicles to customers more quickly. More than 400 new robots, including collaborative robots, were added to the facility during last year’s transformation, enabling the plant to increase the line speed while keeping employees safe from repetitive-motion injuries. The plant also added a robot lab, where employees can test out software tweaks or trouble shoot issues away from the factory floor, saving valuable time.
