• Ford Sollers is launching its newly-constructed $275 million engine plant in Elabuga, Tatarstan as part of its existing commitment to increase local content and expand its operations in Russia
• The new engine plant is the first of its kind to be launched under a foreign brand name in Russia

• The engine plant will produce three versions of the 1.6-litre Duratec engine for Russian-built Ford vehicles

• In line with Ford Sollers localization strategy, from the start of production engines will have a significant level of local content, receiving core components from Russian suppliers and produced from local raw materials

• The production process utilizes world-class, advanced technology equipment and is 95 percent automated; the production process also is fully compliant with Ford global standards of production

Elabuga, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, Sept. 3, 2015 – Ford Sollers today started production of engines at its newly-constructed engine plant in Elabuga. The new facility is the first of its kind to be launched under a foreign brand name in Russia, namely Ford.

The new plant will build three versions of the 1.6-litre Duratec engine for Russian-built Ford models, such as the Ford Fiesta , Ford Focus, and Ford EcoSport.

The Ford Sollers Elabuga Engine Plant occupies 42,600 square meters, equal to the size of six football fields. It is located in the “Alabuga” special economic zone, next to one of the three Ford Sollers vehicle assembly plants in Russia. The overall investment into the engine plant exceeds $275 million.

The facility has an annual capacity of up to 105,000 units, with the possibility for further expansion of up to 200,000 engines a year. At least 30 per cent of Russian-built Ford vehicles will be equipped with these locally-built engines.

In line with Ford Sollers localization strategy, from the start of production, engines will have a
significant level of local content, receiving core components from Russian suppliers and
produced from local raw materials.

The production process utilizes world-class, advanced technology and is 95 percent automated; the production process is fully compliant with Ford global standards of production and includes machining of the crankshaft, block, cylinder head as well as assembly line, and quality control.

“The new Elabuga Engine Plant shows that our business plans are on track, and that Ford Sollers is becoming an increasingly important contributor to the Russian automotive industry,” Mark Ovenden, president and CEO, said.

“We are excited to launch our brand new engine production today. This is an advanced technology facility which brings Ford best practices and competences to Russia, and will help us to further strengthen our position in the country by offering localized products, specially-tailored for Russian customers,” said Ovenden.

“Our main target in line with our long-term localization strategy was to launch engine production with a significant level of localization. We are proud to say that we are not only sourcing main parts from Russian companies, but they also are manufactured from local raw materials. We are fully committed to this strategy which is key for our business in the current environment,” said Adil Shirinov, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Ford Sollers.

The plant will build three versions of the 1.6-litre, normally-aspirated Duratec gasoline engine in 85 PS, 105 PS and 125 PS power levels. Lightweight, durable, economical and with low noise and emissions, the Duratec was the first Ford engine with block, cylinder head, crankcase and pistons all made of aluminum.

Earlier this year Ford Sollers launched four new models in Russia, including the all-new Mondeo, new Focus, new Fiesta and new Transit. Together with the EcoSport, Kuga and Explorer , Ford Sollers produces seven vehicles in Russia covering all popular vehicle segments and has one of the freshest line-ups in the market.