Ford has announced a US$135m investment in hybrid-electric vehicle parts making that will create about 220 jobs in Michigan.
Its Rawsonville plant will assemble battery packs for next generation hybrid vehicles, moving work to Michigan that is currently performed by a supplier in Mexico and its Van Dyke transmission plant will produce a new electric-drive transaxle, moving work to Michigan that is currently done at a supplier in Japan.
The new hybrids are part of Ford’s plan to launch five electrified vehicles in the US by 2012 and in Europe by 2013.
“Electrified vehicles are a key part of our plan to offer a full lineup of green vehicles, and we are building a centre of excellence in the US, here in Michigan, to keep Ford on the cutting edge,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas.
Rawsonville in Ypsilanti will make the battery packs and Van Dyke in Sterling Heights will make the transaxles, adding about 170 direct jobs.
Ford is also adding 50 engineers to work on electrification as it brings such technologies in-house.
Lithium-ion battery systems will power future hybrid vehicles. The new systems will be designed specifically for the hybrids including the new global C-car and CD-car platform hybrids which will be built at Ford’s Michigan assembly plant in 2012.
