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Ford Romania CEO: Ford expects SUV segment to grow more after it starts EcoSport production in Craiova
Ford Romania CEO and Craiova plant manager John Oldham said on Thursday that once Ford EcoSport model production kicks off, the number of cars loaded in trucks leaving the factory would double, from 150 cars a week to over 300.
Oldham also said that, according to Ford's internal studies, improving road infrastructure by finishing the Bals and Slatina ring roads would reduce transportation times by three hours, while improving railway infrastructure would save 15 hours. Currently, 20 percent of Ford Craiova's production is delivered by trucks; according to the Ford Romania CEO, his company has asked the Romanian Government for a deadline for expanding Romania's motorway network so that the plant in Craiova would work properly.
He added that the small SUV segment as well as the entire SUV segment are growing on a European level, and Ford expects it to grow more after it starts EcoSport production in Craiova.
Ford Romania and the Association of Automotive Manufacturers of Romania (ACAROM) on Thursday held a conference on transportation infrastructure in Romania and the challenges its poses to automotive manufacturers. Several members of the Cabinet, including Deputy PM Costin Borc, Transportation Minister Sorin Buse, Public Finance Minister Anca Dragu, as well as US ambassador Hans Klemm attended the event.
Buse told the conference that the Craiova-Pitesti highway will also include ring roads for Bals and Slatina, and it will be done in 2020. He said the bidding for a feasibility study and technical project are scheduled for November 1.