Ford to invest $550m to build new Focus at Michigan plant
Published:08-May-2009
By Datamonitor staff writer
Company also aims to sell a Transit Connect battery electric commercial vehicle for North America in 2010
Ford Motor has reported that it is investing $550m to transform its Michigan assembly plant to build the company's next-generation Focus global small car along with a new battery-electric version of the Focus for the North American market.
The plant, formerly the production site for Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigators sport utility vehicles (SUV), is one of three North American light truck plants that Ford is retooling to build small cars in the near future. The new Focus will begin rolling off the line in 2010 and the battery-electric version of the Focus will debut in 2011.
As part of the retooling, Ford will consolidate its operations from the Wayne assembly plant. When production launches in 2010, approximately 3,200 employees will be building the new Focus at the Michigan assembly plant.
According to the company, it is converting three truck and SUV plants to car plants: Michigan assembly, Cuautitlan assembly in Mexico, and Louisville assembly, which will be converted to produce small vehicles from Ford's global Focus platform beginning in 2011.
In addition to the Focus battery electric vehicle, Ford is collaborating with Smith Electric to sell a Transit Connect battery electric commercial vehicle for North America in 2010. Ford's product plans also include a next-generation hybrid vehicle in 2012 and a plug-in hybrid vehicle in 2012.
Alan Mulally, president and CEO at Ford, said: "The transformation of Michigan assembly plant embodies the larger transformation under way at Ford. This is about investing in modern, efficient and flexible American manufacturing. It is about skilled teams working together in new ways to create the future of automobile manufacturing in the US."
