DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford plans to spend $250 million and add 450 jobs at three Michigan plants to meet demand for the new F-150 Lightning.
Kumar Galhotra, Ford's president of the Americas, said Ford already has taken more than 150,000 reservations for the new electric version of its immensely popular F-150 pickup truck. Galhotra made the announcement Thursday at the new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in the automaker's hometown of Dearborn, where the first pre-production trucks are being made.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer attended the announcement event, emphasizing the importance of electric vehicles and praising Ford for bringing jobs to Michigan.
“We’re standing on the edge of an era of electrification that will be built in factories like this one by hardworking UAW members and the innovative minds at Ford,” said Gov. Whitmer. “I am proud of Ford for committing to invest $250 million today to create 450 jobs in Dearborn, Ypsilanti and Sterling Heights that will support production of the new, all-electric F-150 Lightning. Their efforts will help us reach my statewide goal to be carbon-neutral by 2050 and create good-paying jobs along the way. 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.”
Ford officials hope the F-150 Lightning will be the catalyst that hastens America's transition from gasoline to battery-powered vehicles.
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