Changan Ford, a passenger car joint venture between Ford and Chinese state-owned carmaker Changan Automobile Group, has put its third passenger car plant in China into operation.

A compact Escort rolled off the production line at the new plant in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing on Tuesday, according to the Changan Ford Automobile Co.

The new factory adds an annual capacity of 360,000 units to the 600,000 vehicles of its first two plants in Chongqing, Ford's largest manufacturing center outside Detroit.

Ford's 4th China assembly plant, which is based in the eastern city of Hangzhou, is scheduled to be completed and start operation in 2015.

By the end of 2015, Ford will launch 15 new car models in China and also introduce new engines and transmissions to increase vehicle fuel efficiency by 20 percent.

Source: Xinhua