Ford Expands Next-Generation Electric Vehicle Production

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Ford Expands Next-Generation Electric Vehicle Production (Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company)

Ford Motor Company is expanding its manufacturing capacity in Michigan, with plans that include adding a second North American plant for the automaker’s next-generation battery electric vehicles (BEV).

This new plant will be for vehicles from the company’s next-generation battery electric flexible architecture. They will follow an all-electric SUV planned for 2020 from Ford’s plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico, the automaker says.

“We’ve taken a fresh look at the growth rates of electrified vehicles and know we need to protect additional production capacity given our accelerated plans for fully electric vehicles,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of global operations.

All in all, Ford is investing around $900 million in southeast Michigan. The automaker indicated that this total is tied to their $11.1 billion investment in global electric vehicles.

“Ford does not currently have any pure electric vehicle,” CNN Business pointed out. “It discontinued an electric version of the Focus when it stopped making the gasoline-powered version of that sedan last year.” The automaker clearly wants to change that, although Hinrichs didn’t specify what the next-generation battery electric vehicles will be exactly when asked by the Detroit Free Press.

Last month, Ford Motor Company announced a collaboration with DTE Energy to procure 500,000 megawatt hours of wind energy in Michigan, building on the automaker’s 30% per vehicle carbon reduction target.

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