Ford is to spend US$500m to upgrade its Lima plant in Ohio, adding 300 new jobs to produce a new 2.7-litrem V6 EcoBoost engine designed specially for the redesigned 2015 F-150 [aluminium] pick-up.
The twin-turbo, with standard start-stop, is intended to build on record-breaking customer demand for F-150s equipped with V6 engines rather than the tradiional V8. Almost 60% of new customers in 2014 have opted for either a 3.7-litre V6 or 3.5-litre V6 EcoBoost, the company said.
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Since 2010, US registrations of light duty pickups with V6 engines have grown more than 600%, with the F-150 accounting for 91% of this growth.
Ford’s spend in Lima follows an announcement earlier this month that the company would shift production of Ford F-650/F-750 medium-duty trucks from Mexico to an Ohio assembly plant in Avon Lake, in the Cleveland area, early next year.
Lima produces the 3.5-litre and 3.7-litre Duratec V6 engines for a number of Ford vehicles including Edge and Explorer utilities, as well as the Lincoln MKX crossover, MKT utility and MKZ sedan.
The $500m will be spent on a new flexible engine assembly system and the renovation of 700,000 sq ft for machining and assembly functions.
The plant, which opened in 1957, employs more than 900 people and is one of the largest employers in Allen County.
