Ford hybrid production down 50%, pickup trucks line add a third shift

Didn’t Get the Memo, by Henry Payne
Planet Gore/NRO, Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Ford this week announced that it is adding a third shift to produce Ford F-150 pickups at its Dearborn Truck Plant. The addition of the third shift will boost total employment at the plant by about 1,000 to 3,470.

While the truck market remain depressed (Ford’s F-Series sales dropped 25 percent in December), other markets such as hybrid sales are in free fall with the Ford Escape Hybrid down 50 percent.

Ford says the shift changes are a reaction to market demand. Since the company launched its redesigned F-150 in October, full-size pickup sales have increased market share by 5 percent to 35 percent of the market.

“Despite the economic situation here, we are gaining share, and the dealer demand and the customer demand” remain strong, says F-150 marketing manager Mark Grueber. “They are asking for more trucks from us.”

Clearly, someone didn’t get the memo from Washington central planning that Americans only want small hybrids.