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Ford Motor Company is investing more than $550 million in the Michigan Assembly Plant to build small cars and electric vehicles. By next year, the Michigan Assembly Plant will utilize lean and flexible manufacturing techniques required to respond quickly to changing market demand. According to president and CEO Alan Mulally Ford Motor Company is undergoing a global transformation.
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| Cut #1: | "It is an investment in our future, and it is an investment in the future of Michigan and American manufacturing." :05 sec. |
| Prior to this transformation, the plant produced the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUV's, which will now be manfactured at Ford's Kentucky facility. Next year Ford will begin production of the next generation Ford Focus in Michigan at this plant. Mulally took a moment to reflect on where we are as a nation and where Ford is as a company. | |
| Cut #2: | "You think about it in the worst of times, world wide, what we're here today is to celebrate a plan to profitably grow Ford. We are fighting for the soul of manufacturing in Michigan and the United States of America and worldwide and what a proof point to be able to announce today, that we a gonna make our newest car, everywhere around the world, the finest quality, safety, fuel efficiency and we're going to make it right here in Michigan." :25 sec. |
| Mulally then turned to Chairman, Bill Ford, who gave the media and consumers a look into the future for the Michigan Assembly Plant explaining the strategy that will bring-to-market four new electrified vehicles within the next four years. | |
| Cut #3: | "We're going to begin next year with the launch of the Battery Electric Transit Connect commercial van and in 2011, this is really cool, I can tell you that our next battery electric vehicle will be the next generation Ford Focus... and it's going to be built right here at Michigan Assembly." :16 sec. |
| The Focus Battery Electric Vehicle is being developed with Magna International and be equipped with lithium-ion batteries and have a targeted range of 100 miles, all without a drop of gas and with zero emissions. | |
| Cut #4: | "We believe that building this vehicle here at the Michigan Assembly plant, is going to be a critical step toward the commercialization and ultimately the acceptance of electric vehicles. And that's really important to our country, it's important to our community, and it's important, frankly for the world." :15 sec. |
| Ford's investment means the retention of 3,200 jobs at Michigan Assembly. Production of the new global Ford Focus begins next year. Production of the battery electric version of the Focus, Ford's first all-electric passenger car, begins in 2011. |