Photo: Ford
After factory workers manufactured the last units of the 2014 Ford F-150 last week, the Blue Oval's Dearborn Truck Plant has entered a retooling phase in anticipation of the aluminum-laden 2015 model year of the iconic pickup. The manufacturing plant will be closed for eight weeks, during which over 1,100 commercial trucks will deliver the machinery and tools needed to start assembly of the 2015 MY.
Until production commences this October, a lot of men and women will have to work around the clock in order to meet scheduled deadlines for everything to go according to plan. It's quite the massive undertaking and a gargantuan logistics challenge. Moreover, the second factory that'll make the 2015 Ford F-150, located in Kansas City, Missouri, will be shutdown for a similar retooling operation in 2015.
Although us gearheads are more enticed by the 2015 Ford Mustang, the all-new F-150 light-duty truck is the Blue Oval's most important nameplate in the United States because it's the best-selling vehicle in this part of the world for the past 32 years and the best-selling pickup truck for a whopping 43 years. So you can imagine just how vital is for the all-new F-150 truck to sell at least as well as its predecessor.
Until last week, over 3,600 employees working at the Dearborn Truck Plant assembled some 1,200 units of the 2014 Ford F-150 per day. But with that 95 percent aluminum body added to the mix, the 2015 model year will be that little bit more expensive and harder to manufacture than its predecessor. Thanks to the strong yet lightweight material, the new F-150 is up to 700 pounds lighter than the 2014 MY.
With pricing starting at $26,615 and topping at $52,155 for the Platinum trim level, the 2015 Ford F-150 is all things to all men. There's even an all-new 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost with 325 hp and 375 lb-ft (508 Nm) on tap for those customers that need that balanced mix between towing power and respectable fuel economy. Nevertheless, it's too bad a turbo diesel mill isn't included in the engine lineup.
Although us gearheads are more enticed by the 2015 Ford Mustang, the all-new F-150 light-duty truck is the Blue Oval's most important nameplate in the United States because it's the best-selling vehicle in this part of the world for the past 32 years and the best-selling pickup truck for a whopping 43 years. So you can imagine just how vital is for the all-new F-150 truck to sell at least as well as its predecessor.
Until last week, over 3,600 employees working at the Dearborn Truck Plant assembled some 1,200 units of the 2014 Ford F-150 per day. But with that 95 percent aluminum body added to the mix, the 2015 model year will be that little bit more expensive and harder to manufacture than its predecessor. Thanks to the strong yet lightweight material, the new F-150 is up to 700 pounds lighter than the 2014 MY.
With pricing starting at $26,615 and topping at $52,155 for the Platinum trim level, the 2015 Ford F-150 is all things to all men. There's even an all-new 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost with 325 hp and 375 lb-ft (508 Nm) on tap for those customers that need that balanced mix between towing power and respectable fuel economy. Nevertheless, it's too bad a turbo diesel mill isn't included in the engine lineup.
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