Plugged in for milestone
A Ranger PHEV has notched up a significant milestone for Ford’s local-assembly facility, known as the new model programs (NMP), by becoming the 1,000th prototype to roll out of the site in Melbourne.
The NMG operation – formerly known as “plant two” – is near the IMG product development centre and design centre in Campbellfield, and is building on Ford Australia’s long history of local assembly and manufacturing.
The team there works on projects that require bespoke craftsmanship and agile manufacturing processes, such as making engineering prototypes and “mules” that support the blue oval’s global launches.
“It’s fitting the PHEV is the 1,000th prototype for us,” says Vince Ciocca, NMP plant manager. “It shows how Ford remains at the cutting edge of local vehicle development. It puts Australian skills and workers on a global stage.”
The Ranger PHEV programme marks the first time NMP has produced an electrified prototype. It has required staff to undergo upskilling and EV certification to complete the task of hand-building the engineering vehicles.
The internal combustion engine version of the Ranger is engineered and designed by Ford Australia, and sold in more than 180 countries including all continents except Antarctica. This expertise has played a key role in its ability to deliver innovative vehicles, such as the PHEV variant of the ute.
The history of NMP
The NMP was originally set up in the 1970s as a truck plant. It produced Broncos and F-Series for the emergency services.
In the 1980s, Ford introduced utes and vans and, in a first for an Australian manufacturing plant, started using robots. This was followed by work on components of the Capri in 1989 and on the AU Falcon.
In the years after manufacturing closure, the company recognised the need for an efficient solution for prototype building, so “plant two” was transformed, a warehouse and complementary facilities added, and a team set up to build Ranger prototypes.
Most employees and those who work in the facility today have many years of experience from the facility’s plant-two days, ensuring the right mix of skills and know-how.
More recently, the NMP collaborated with Herrod Performance to produce all 500 examples of the Australian-exclusive supercharged Ford Mustang R-Spec.
Other significant vehicles to roll out of the NMP include initial prototypes for the current Ranger and Everest, while it pivoted quickly during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic to produce face shields during the PPE shortage.
Ford Australia’s product development team members, along with their global counterparts, have been conducting engineering tests for the Ranger PHEV since last year using prototypes built at the NMP.
