Ford said today it will be manufacturing at the retooled plant not only gas powered vehicles, but also battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. That is pretty much the entire lineup of alternative powered vehicles planned by Ford for the next two years, including the electric version of the new generation Focus.
According to Ford, getting the plant in shape to be able to produce the EVs in all their shapes required an investment estimated at $550 million. The new production lines are even more important to Ford if we take into account the fact that the Wayne facility was until recently responsible for the production of gas-guzzling SUVs.
“We’ve modernized just about every square foot of this facility to establish a new standard for a high-tech, green, flexible and efficient auto factory,” said Jim Tetreault, Ford vice president of North America Manufacturing. “The transformation of Michigan Assembly Plant stands as a symbol for the transformation of Ford.”
The plant will not only build green cars, but also use green power. Ford will fit on the outside of the facility a new 500-kilowatt solar panel system to supply some of the power needed for production. The panels will be installed by Detroit Edison and Xtreme Power and will be integrated with a 750-kilowatt energy storage facility that can store 2 million watt-hours of energy using batteries.
Once all the models are produced in Wayne, the facility will become the most flexible and high-volume plant it operates around the world.
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