Ford, Fiat Chrysler (FCA), and General Motors will resume production at full capacity by the end of June, despite initial supply constraints.
The FCA group, which first restarted its US operations on May 18 with single shifts at four of its 10 plants across the country, has quickly ramped up activities. The carmaker is now operating with two to three shifts at nine of its plants and will return to full production capacity with the start of the second shift at its Belvedere assembly plant on June 22.
Ford has indicated that its production facilities across the US are being ramped up to ensure it is operating at its full production levels by June 22. The carmaker had earlier set a date of July 6 to restore its facilities to its pre-pandemic levels of production.
Kelli Felker, Ford’s global manufacturing and communications manager, told local media that the company’s US operations made up a big chunk of its total global production and that the carmaker could ramp up sooner than expected because of support from its suppliers and workforce.
However, General Motors, which plans to restore its production capacity to its pre-shutdown levels by June, still faces some short-term supplier constraints. As a result, the company has postponed the addition of a third shift to its plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, the company told its employees, according to a media report.