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Ford to assemble electric E-Transit van in Kansas City; building out $3.2B North American EV manufacturing capability

Ford Motor Company announced that its Kansas City Assembly Plant will build the all-new E-Transit van, part of a more than $3.2 billion investment in Ford’s North American manufacturing facilities to produce a series of new electric vehicles for commercial and retail customers.

The new E-Transit will join the all-electric F-150 announced in September and the all-electric Mustang Mach-E, which begins arriving in dealers’ showrooms next month. The new entries support Ford’s plan to electrify its iconic and most popular vehicles, including its commercial vehicles. The all-electric F-150, which will be assembled at the new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich., arrives in mid-2022. The E-Transit arrives in late 2021.

Electric vehicles are a key part of Ford’s commitment meet the requirements of the Paris Accord and achieve carbon neutrality globally by 2050.

Ford is investing an additional $100 million in its Kansas City plant and adding approximately 150 full-time permanent jobs to build the E-Transit, a zero-emissions version of Transit, America’s best-selling commercial van.

The all-electric E-Transit will be unveiled Thursday and arrives in late 2021. The electric van investment in Kansas City is in addition to the $300 million Ford invested for the launch this year of the all-new F-150 at that plant. The plant employs approximately 7,500 workers.

E-Transit is part of Ford’s more than $11.5 billion global investment in electrification through 2022.

Ford’s strategy is different—we are delivering affordable, capable electric vehicles in the heart of the retail and commercial market rather than six-figure status vehicles. With the stunning Mustang Mach-E SUV, an all-electric F-150 and the new E-Transit, our first wave of EVs in North America will introduce a whole new generation to EVs.

—Kumar Galhotra, president, Americas and International Markets Group

Ford is also investing approximately $150 million in Van Dyke Transmission Plant in Southeast Michigan to build e-motors and e-transaxles beginning in 2021. This will retain 225 jobs at the plant.

Given the strong early interest in Ford’s all-electric F-150 since the September announcement, Ford is now increasing production plans by 50% versus original plans. To deliver more fully electric trucks, Ford will add 200 new jobs in addition to the 300 jobs previously announced for the new electric F-150.

Ford spends more than $5 billion annually on engineering in America, which includes the development of the fully electric Transit, the F-150, and the Mustang Mach-E.

In addition to electric vehicle manufacturing sites for trucks and vans in the US, the company also is investing C$1.8 billion (US $1.35 billion) to transform its Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario starting in 2024 to include next-generation battery-electric vehicles. It will mark the first time that an automaker has produced full BEVs in Canada for the North American market.

Ford also is planning to produce an additional electrified vehicle at its plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico, where the Mustang Mach-E is produced. The new vehicle will share a similar electrified platform as the Mustang Mach-E, delivering manufacturing and engineering efficiencies.

Comments

sd

If Ford can deliver battery electric F-150s and Transit vans at a price that is close to the cost of the ICE vehicles, they should have a large potential market for contractors commercial delivery operations as the operating cost will be considerably less. I am sure that they will also find favor with the operators.

SJC_1

Amazon is buying lots of EV delivery vans, this is a bottom line issue.

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