Ford Motor Company has announced a R5.2 billion investment in its Silverton, South Africa assembly plant to produce the first-ever Ranger plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The investment aims to make Ford’s South African operations entirely energy self-sufficient by 2025.
Ford also revealed plans to launch nine new models in South Africa over the next 18 months, signalling a major market offensive. The Ranger PHEV production at Silverton will begin in late 2024, creating new jobs according to Ford Africa president Neale Hill.
The company currently employs around 5,200 people in South Africa, supporting 60,000 jobs in the total value chain. Ford’s manufacturing investments in the country now total R33 billion over the past 14 years.
Hill stated the Ranger PHEV production decision was made despite uncertainties around South Africa’s new energy vehicle policy direction. He expressed concerns about missing localization opportunities but said Ford remains actively engaged with government on the policy vacuum.
