Ford’s $5B Bet On America

The Ford Motor Company was born on June 16, 1903, in Detroit, Michigan. The first vehicle built by the company was sold just a month later. Since that day, the Ford Company has been dedicated to consumers to ensure they have reasonably priced and reliable vehicles and to the country by providing much-needed jobs to the economy. Once again, Ford is taking great strides to deliver a new line of affordable and reliable electric vehicles to the United States and create almost 4,000 jobs at the Louisville Assembly Plant and BlueOval Battery Park, Michigan. The company is investing $5B in the new program that will produce the new Ford Universal EV Platform, which will be used in a complete line of reasonably priced Ford electric vehicles.

The Ford Universal EV Platform

The Ford Motor Company is looking at many ways to increase efficiency and reduce parts to keep costs down in the new line of EVs. For example, the parts count for the new EVs will be reduced by 20% as compared to current production models. There will be 25% fewer fasteners and around 40% fewer workstations needed to create each vehicle. These steps will reduce the time required for production by 15%, therefore lowering the cost of the new EVs.

Ford is also taking steps to reduce the weight of the new EVs. Some of the most innovative processes include the redesign of the wiring harness used in the vehicles, which eliminates about 4,000 feet of wire and reduces the harness weight by just over 22 pounds. Additionally, the use of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic batteries reduces the overall weight of the vehicles and the space needed to house the batteries. The new battery components will be used as the vehicle floor and provide a lower center of gravity for added safety. They will also integrate additional storage spaces for vehicle owners.

The First In The Line Of New Ford EVs

The first vehicle that will be built using the new components and processes is a mid-size truck that will have four doors and be fully electric. These new trucks will be assembled in the Louisville Assembly Plant for U.S. and export markets, with the release expected in 2027. The space provided for passengers is projected to exceed that in the Toyota RAV4 and include locking storage in the frunk and truck bed.

The New And Improved Assembly Process

Ford is excited to implement a new assembly process that resembles a tree more than a lengthy assembly line. In the new process, there will be three distinct assembly areas, each creating a third of the vehicle. The front and rear of the vehicle will be added to the structural center of the vehicle, which includes the batteries. The estimates at this point reflect that the new assembly method will reduce the build time for each mid-size truck by an astounding 40%.

To accommodate the new build process, Ford has invested $2B in the Louisville Assembly Plant and will fill 2,200 new positions with local workers. The physical plant will also be increased by 52,000 square feet to meet the needs of the new project. The investment of $3B was made in the BlueOval Battery Park, Michigan, to facilitate building the new prismatic LFP batteries for the latest Ford line of EVs.

The team at Geaux Ford is as excited as its customers to see the prototypes of these new trucks. Please keep in touch with your friends at our dealership for the latest updates on the project and when you might expect to purchase your new Ford EV and be the first in your community of Bay St. Louis, Picayune, or Long Beach to drive home in one of these cutting-edge vehicles.