Ford is investing more than US$1.45 billion in two southeast Michigan manufacturing facilities and adding 3,000 new jobs to strengthen its position in trucks and SUVs and support the company’s expansion into electric and autonomous vehicles.
The company is investing approximately $750 million and adding 2,700 new direct jobs at its manufacturing facility in Wayne, Michigan, during the next three years. Ford will install new equipment to support production of the all-new Bronco and Ranger as well as create a new modification centre at the site.
Employees at Ford’s Autonomous Vehicle, Bronco and Ranger modification centre in Wayne will complete Ford’s first autonomous vehicles in 2021, including installing the vehicles’ unique self-driving technology and unique purpose-built interiors. This will be the first centre of its kind for Ford and will drive synergies with the company’s existing AV research functions in Dearborn and Detroit. At that same location, Bronco and Ranger will be modified for customers.
At the Dearborn manufacturing site, Ford will add 300 jobs and invest about US$700 million to support production of new electrified variants of its F-150 truck, producing both a F-150 hybrid and fully electric F-150. Ford will also create a new operation in Dearborn where the battery cells will be assembled.
In 2020 Ford will debut the all-new F-150 and F-150 hybrid. The fully electric Ford F-150 is coming soon after and will be part of the company’s more than US$11.5 billion global electrified vehicle investment. The Bronco will be revealed in the spring. It will be built alongside the Ford Ranger at the Michigan Assembly Plant.
