Ford Shifts Production Plans to Support Electrification Push

In December 2015, Ford announced plans to invest $4.5 billion to introduce 13 new electrified vehicle models by 2020. The company provided no additional details at the time, but a big piece of that plan just became clear as CEO Mark Fields made a major investment announcement at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant near Detroit on January 3.

Ford has been criticized in the media for a seemingly lackadaisical approach to introducing plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) over the past several years; however, this criticism is only partially valid. Unlike its more PEV-aggressive competitors Nissan and GM, Ford has avoided building dedicated PEV platforms to date—but that will soon change. The Focus Electric BEV has been called out for being merely a compliance car to meet California zero emissions vehicle mandates. Ford has been focused on pushing the plug-in hybrid variants of the Fusion and C-Max, which have been among the best-selling PEVs over the past 2 years.

Changes to an American Classic

According to Fields, Ford’s powertrain lineup will look very different by 2020. The best-selling vehicle in America for nearly four decades, the F-150 pickup, will be available with a new hybrid system that is expected to retain the towing and payload capabilities that customers in this segment expect. A rear-wheel drive hybrid system will be available for the truck and will also be applied to Ford’s most iconic car, the Mustang, when it gets its next update in 2020.

With the overall market shift away from cars toward utility vehicles, it has been a struggle for automakers to sell PEVs in volume. With that in mind, several of the new electrified vehicles will be SUVs, including the next-generation Explorer, which is built in Chicago. The police interceptor variant of the Explorer outsells the Taurus sedan by more than two to one, and the new generation will be Ford’s first hybrid with a turbocharged EcoBoost engine.

Big Plans for Flat Rock, Michigan

In addition to the Explorer hybrid, Ford will build a new, smaller SUV with a fully electric powertrain that offers a range of at least 300 miles. The electric SUV will be built at the Flat Rock, Michigan plant alongside the Lincoln Continental, Mustang, and a previously announced fully automated vehicle for ride-hailing that will debut in 2021. In order to support these new vehicles, Ford is investing $700 million to expand the plant, as well as adding 700 more jobs.

At the same time, Ford is canceling plans for a $1.6 billion small car plant in Mexico. During the 2016 presidential campaign, then candidate Donald Trump made a major issue of the plan to shift Focus production to Mexico from Michigan. The next Focus will instead be built at the existing Hermosillo, Mexico plant alongside the Fusion sedan. The small car market isn’t growing right now, limiting the need for companies such as Ford to expand the manufacturing of these vehicles. With sales of the Fusion slowing as well, there is plenty of capacity at Hermosillo to support both cars, plus the Lincoln MKZ.

Guidehouse Insights’ recent Market Data: Electric Vehicle Market Forecast report projects that more than 6.8 million PEVs will be sold annually across the globe by 2025. Ford’s new electrification plan shows that the company is focused on applying the technology to vehicles where it believes it can do so profitably.