Mach 1 Club

Full Version: Ford pledges $135M, 220 new jobs for hybrid tech
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Like General Motors, Ford has recently committed itself heavily in the state of Michigan when it comes to producing hybrid and electric vehicle related technology and parts for its future vehicles.

Ford’s most recent investment of $135 million will be split between the Rawsonville Plant, which will assemble battery packs for next-generation hybrid vehicles beginning with the 2012 model year, and the Van Dyke Transmission Plant, which will be responsible for producing a new electric-drive trans axle for future hybrid vehicles.

In the case of the electric-drive trans axle, Ford says it will be creating many new jobs as the trans axle is currently assembled in Japan. For Rawsonville, the work will be moved from its current location in Mexico and brought to the U.S. In all, Ford anticipates to add 220 new jobs to Michigan as a result of these new production locations.

Ford’s moves may come as a surprise to some, as the growing trend has been to move jobs out of the U.S. in order to remain cost competitive, and as a result, the United Auto Worker’s union has taken notice of the Michigan-based automaker’s latest moves.

“I am proud of the tremendous success of the UAW and Ford in working together to keep good manufacturing jobs in the U.S.,” said Bob King, UAW vice president, national Ford department.

Ford is due to begin selling its first purely electric vehicle, the Transit Connect Electric, later this year, along with the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. An all-electric Focus is due to go on sale in 2011, and Ford says a next-generation hybrid electric and a plug-in hybrid – both based on Ford’s new global C-platform – will go on sale in 2012.