Changan Ford Automobile Co., Ltd. (simplified Chinese: 长安福特; traditional Chinese: 長安福特; pinyin: Cháng’ān Fútè) is a Chinese automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Chongqing. It is a 50/50 joint venture between local Changan Automobile and US-based Ford Motor Company. The company’s principal activity is the manufacture of Ford brand passenger cars for the Chinese market. The company was formed in December 2012 after the decision to restructure Changan Ford Mazda, whereby Ford and Mazda agreed to work with Changan as separate joint ventures. Currently, Changan Ford’s entire production base is the largest manufacturing location outside Detroit, Michigan, for Ford. It has plants in Chongqing, Hangzhou, and Harbin.
| Website | ford.com.cn |
|---|
History
In late 2012, China approved the division of the Changan Ford Mazda joint venture 50-50 into separate Ford and Mazda components.
In 2013, Changan Ford opened a new engine plant in Chongqing with an investment of US$500 million. Changan Ford revealed the Jiayue sub-brand in May 2014. On 18 June 2014, Changan Ford opened its transmission plant in Chongqing with an investment of US$350 million. This was the first transmission plant for Ford in the Asia-Pacific region. During this period, the company nearly doubled its market share to 4.5 percent within two years.
In 2015, Changan Ford acquired Harbin Hafei Automobile Group Co., a subsidiary of Chongqing Changan’s parent company, for vehicle production, which started in the second half of 2016. The 2015 acquisition of the automobile facility expanded Changan Ford’s production in China by 200,000 vehicles annually. Production of Jiayue was expected to begin in 2016 but never commenced. The last Focus Classic was assembled in September of that year.
In 2019, the company was fined by the Chinese government for anti-trust practices. It was ordered to pay $23.5 million as a penalty for having restricted prices since 2013. The amount constituted four percent of the company’s annual sales in Chongqing.
Products
Current Models
- Ford Explorer
- Ford Escape
- Ford Mondeo
- Ford Edge
- Ford Mondeo Sport
- Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Lincoln Corsair
- Lincoln Aviator
- Lincoln Nautilus
- Lincoln Z
Former Models
- Ford Escort
- Ford Focus
- Ford Fiesta
- Ford Mondeo Zhisheng
- Ford S-Max
- Ford Kuga (replaced by the Ford Escape)
- Ford EcoSport
- Ford Taurus
Sales Performance
| Calendar Year | Total Sales |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 418,500 |
| 2013 | 678,950 |
| 2014 | 801,603 |
| 2015 | 836,425 |
| 2016 | 957,495 |
| 2017 | 826,740 |
| 2018 | 417,215 |
| 2019 | 183,987 |
| 2020 | 213,680 |
| 2021 | 304,682 |
| 2022 | 251,000 |
| 2023 | 233,122 |
Manufacturing Facilities
Changan Ford operates manufacturing plants in three key locations in China:
- Chongqing: The primary production base and home to the largest Ford manufacturing facility outside Detroit.
- Hangzhou: A significant production site for various Ford models.
- Harbin: A facility acquired in 2015 to expand production capacity.
Conclusion
Changan Ford plays a crucial role in the Chinese automotive market by manufacturing and distributing Ford vehicles. Despite facing challenges such as regulatory fines and market fluctuations, the company continues to be a key player in China’s automotive industry, benefiting from its joint venture with Ford and extensive production capacity.
