Ford Media Center

Ford Approves New Family of Low-Emission Petrol Engines for Its Bridgend Engine Plant in South Wales

BRIDGEND, Wales, UK, 25 September, 2015 – Ford has approved an investment of £181 million at its Bridgend Engine Plant in South Wales to produce a family of all-new, technologically-advanced, fuel-efficient petrol engines.

The investment includes Welsh Government support of £14.67 million, with production planned to start in late 2018.

The Ford announcement was welcomed by Welsh Economy Minister Edwina Hart: “Ford is a Welsh Anchor Company and the Bridgend Engine Plant plays a key role in the economy of South Wales. In a climate of stiff global competitiveness, we have been actively seeking to win a share of this investment for Wales and so we are delighted with today’s announcement.

“Ford’s decision to manufacture its new innovative engine here in Wales is a tribute to the reputation of the local management team and the quality and loyalty of the Welsh workforce and will safeguard more than 750 skilled Welsh jobs for many years.”

Teams from the Ford Dunton Technical Centre in Essex, as well as Ford’s Technical Centre in Merkenich Germany, and the Ford Research and Innovation Centre in Aachen, Germany, have worked together on the design and development of the all-new engine family.

Earlier this year, Ford built its 5 millionth vehicle worldwide equipped with a fuel-efficient EcoBoost petrol engine, and in Europe more than one-in-four of all Ford vehicles sold are fitted with an EcoBoost engine. The 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine – winner of the International Engine of the Year for an unprecedented three years in succession – is the most popular EcoBoost version in Europe, with one-in-five vehicles sold in the region being equipped with the engine.

 

Notes for Editors:

  • The Bridgend Engine Plant has benefitted from a total £1.8 billion investment since it opened in 1980.  It builds six-cylinder and eight-cylinder engines for customers and, together with Ford four-cylinder engines, total production is currently 3,400 engines a day, or one every 24 seconds off the busiest line.
  • Bridgend’s success has been encouraged through a partnership with the Welsh Government who have committed to maximising the potential of Ford’s own investment.  The Welsh Government supports the plant with an annual grant for training of £50,000.
  • Ford Bridgend total production now exceeds 19 million engines and its products power the Ford Fiesta, B-MAX, Focus, C-MAX, Kuga and Mondeo models. 

Plant Opened

May 1980

Number of Employees

1,860

2014 production

701,392 total

Plant size

141,702 sq m on 60 acres

Plant manager

Ian Pearson

 

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 195,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

 

Ford of Europe is responsible for producing, selling and servicing Ford brand vehicles in 50 individual markets and employs approximately 53,000 employees at its wholly owned facilities and approximately 67,000 people when joint ventures and unconsolidated businesses are included. In addition to Ford Motor Credit Company, Ford Europe operations include Ford Customer Service Division and 23 manufacturing facilities (15 wholly owned or consolidated joint venture facilities and 8 unconsolidated joint venture facilities). The first Ford cars were shipped to Europe in 1903 – the same year Ford Motor Company was founded. European production started in 1911.