From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.

Sashnee Moodley:

Ford South Africa in April shipped its first batch of locally produced plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) Rangers for the European, New Zealand and Australian markets. Marleny Arnoldi visited the upgraded plant.

Marleny Arnoldi:

Ford’s Silverton plant in Pretoria is the sole production site globally for the Ford Ranger PHEV, which is now producing about 200 of these models a day.

The company spent R5.2-billion on upgrades to the plant to accommodate for the manufacturing of PHEVs, including a brand new battery assembly plant and modernisations to the assembly lines.

The battery plant can produce 62 000 battery packs a year. While Ford South Africa imports the battery arrays, the balance of components comprising the battery pack are produced locally.

The PHEV battery plant links with the assembly plant through a hybrid conveyor system, which marks the first use of a hybrid conveyor system in all Ford’s battery assembly plant’s globally.

Ford South Africa operations director Rhys Davies tells us more.

Ford South Africa operations director Rhys Davies…

Marleny Arnoldi:

In addition to stringent testing procedures for the batteries, Ford also modernised its chassis, stamping and body shop segments in the plants. The body shop upgrades included a new load box floor production line designed to accommodate the battery packs for positioning on the vehicles.

Davies elaborates.

Ford South Africa operations director Rhys Davies…

Marleny Arnoldi:

All of the company’s staff underwent extensive electrical and safety training, including the site’s emergency response teams since battery-related fires require special extinguishing. 

Davies tells us more about the new safety procedures in the plant.

Ford South Africa operations director Rhys Davies…

Sashnee Moodley:

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy. Don’t forget to listen to the audio version of our Engineering News daily email newsletter.