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.
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By GlobalDataThe plant, which opened in 1957, employs more than 900 people and is one of the largest employers in Allen County.
