Ford Works to Bring Electric Vehicle Manufacturing to America-

Yesterday, the Ford Motor Company announced its plans to invest $135 million in two Detroit-area component plants as part of what the automaker is calling a “center of excellence” for manufacturing electric cars in Michigan. According to Ford, the investment will create 220 new jobs by 2012, including 130 hourly jobs at a transaxle plant in Michigan’s Sterling Heights, and 40 hourly jobs at an Ypsilanti plant that will build battery packs. Fifty engineering jobs will be added, to boot. “Electrified vehicles are a key part of our plan to offer a full lineup of green vehicles, and we are building a center of excellence in the U.S., here in Michigan, to keep Ford on the cutting edge,” Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, said in a statement. “Today’s announcement is another important step in our larger strategy to launch a family of hybrids, plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles around the world.” Ford plans to introduce five new electric or hybrid electric vehicles – mostly compact cars – in North America by 2012 and Europe by 2013. “We’re working hard to make Michigan the center for electrified vehicle technology and production,” Ms. Granholm was quoted as saying in the Ford statement. “Today’s announcement by Ford represents another step forward in moving Michigan from the Rust Belt to the Green Belt by investing in green technology and creating green jobs.” Monday’s statement is part of an effort by Ford to bring manufacturing of many components for electric vehicles into America. Previously, the company said it had been obtaining transaxles from a supplier in Japan and battery packs from Mexico. “I am proud of the tremendous success of the U.A.W. and Ford in working together to keep good manufacturing jobs in the U.S.,” Mr. King, who is the U.A.W.’s vice president in charge of the union’s Ford department, was quoted as saying in the Ford statement. “These new products will help the community and local economy in Michigan by creating 170 new direct jobs at Ford and hundreds of other supporting jobs in the community, while helping to reduce emissions that cause air pollution and global warming.”