Ford, GM Add to Q3 Production Slate

Ford Motor Co. is Adding Another 10,000 units to its third-quarter production schedule to meet demand for the Focus C-car and Escape cross/utility vehicle created by the “Cash for Clunkers” program, now concluded.

Meanwhile, General Motors Co.'s production schedule is trending up with the addition of 60,000 vehicles to its third- and fourth-quarter forecasts, a 35% increase over the second quarter.

Ford's third-quarter schedule stands at 18% above like-2008, for a total of 495,000 planned builds. Ford also announces plans to boost fourth-quarter output 75,000 units to 570,000, a 33% jump.

Under the Cash for Clunkers program, the Ford Escape and Focus flew off dealer lots, says Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas.

At GM, demand for fuel-efficient vehicles prompted the uptick, which affects some 1,350 hourly workers and boosts output of the Chevrolet Cobalt small car and Equinox midsize cross-utility vehicle and all-new GMC Terrain midsize CUV.

The Cobalt is assembled at GM's plant in Lordstown, OH, and the CUVs are produced at CAMI Automotive Inc., the auto maker's joint venture with American Suzuki Motor Corp., in Ingersoll, ON, Canada.