DEARBORN, Mich. (WWJ) -- Ford is investing an additional $250 million and adding 450 jobs in southeast Michigan as it boosts production capacity for its new electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck as the industry continues to move toward an electrified future.
The new jobs will be spread out between three plants in Ypsilanti, Dearborn and Sterling Heights. That includes the new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, where they’ve already begun making prototypes of the truck, which is expected to hit dealerships by next spring.
New jobs will also be headed to the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center -- where they’ll make electric motors and transaxles for the new trucks -- and the Rawsonville Components Plant, where the batteries will be produced.
The move announced Thursday will allow the company to make about 80,000 F-150 Lightnings a year. Ford already has about 150,000 reservations for the new electric truck.
Ford president of the Americas, Kumar Galhotra, says Ford has been dealing with a lot of stoppages of F-150 production amid the global computer chip shortage, but doesn’t anticipate major impacts on the production of the Lightning.
“The chip situation is so volatile. Let’s hope it doesn’t, but so far there is no indication it would impact our launch,” Galhotra told WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert.
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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center Thursday, saying the investment in production and new jobs will have an impact all over Michigan.
“It is exciting as we stand on the edge of an era of electrification. Today represents a jump into the future of possibility,” Whitmer said.
The governor said she’s proud of Ford’s added investments to bring more jobs to the area.
“Their efforts will help us reach my statewide goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050 and create good-paying jobs along the way,” Whitmer said, per a press release. “I will stay laser-focused at the state-level on making investments in the future of mobility and electrification, and together, we can create good-paying, high-skill union jobs and lead the world in electric vehicle development and manufacturing.”
Earlier this year, Whitmer announced grants for 88 electric vehicle charging sites across Michigan, expanding the state's charging network.