Ford Michigan plant to produce Focus hybrid and EV platforms
Ford's revamped production plant in Michigan will not only produce the new 'global' Ford Focus - set to go on sale in the US in early 2011 - but also a range of new hybrid and electric vehicle platforms.
The Ford Motor Company Michigan Assembly plant was once home to rolling out various SUVs and American pick-up trucks but has just been renovated through a US$550 million deal. The new plant will produce the brand-new Ford Focus and a number of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and complete electric vehicles.
This means Ford's new Ford Focus Electric will be produced at the fresh factory and is said to go on sale in America later next year. A plug-in hybrid and hybrid is also said to follow some time in 2012.
Jim Tetreault, Ford vice president of North America manufacturing, said in a recent report,
"If the past few years have taught us anything, it is that customer wants and needs can change quickly – much more quickly than we have been equipped to efficiently respond to in the past.
"At Michigan Assembly, we will achieve a level of flexibility we don’t have in any other plant around the world, which will allow us to meet shifting consumer preferences in real time."
The new plant will also feature a 500kW solar panel roofing system which will provide power for assembly of the Ford Focus and its hybrid and electric derivatives. It's also home to 500 new robots and 3200 employees.
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