Ford said it was spending US$1.45bn on two southeast Michigan factories and adding 3,000 new jobs to build trucks and SUVs and expand into electric and autonomous vehicles.
Of that, $750m will be spent to add 2,700 new jobs at Wayne during the next three years. The automaker will install new equipment to support production of the revived Bronco SUV and strong selling Ranger pickup truck as well as create a new modification centre.
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Employees at the autonomous vehicle, Bronco and Ranger modification centre will complete Ford's first autonomous vehicles starting in 2021, including installing the claimed unique self driving technology and unique purpose built interiors.
This will be the first centre of its kind for Ford and will complement existing AV research functions in Dearborn and Detroit. At that same location, Bronco and Ranger will be modified for customers.
At Dearborn, Ford will add 300 jobs and spend about $700m to build new electrified variants of its F-150 truck, producing both a hybrid and full electric.
A new operation will assemble cells into battery packs for both versions.
In the 2019 UAW-Ford contract, Ford pledged to invest $6bn in its US factories, creating or retaining 8,500 jobs.
A redesigned F-150 and hybrid variant is due out in 2020 with the full electric to follow. Dearborn Truck Plant will build these.
The Bronco will be revealed in spring 2020. It will be built alongside the Ranger at Michigan Assembly Plant.
