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| Ford’s ‘electric transformation’ means new name for 53-year-old plant |
Automakers continue to retire long-standing plant names as the industry transitions to building electric vehicles.
Ford Motor Co. announced this week that its Van Dyke Transmission Plant north of Detroit would be rebranded as the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center. The change comes roughly seven months after General Motors said its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant would be known as Factory Zero.
Since the Van Dyke plant opened in 1968, workers have built suspension components and transmissions for gasoline and hybrid vehicles, including the Taurus, Windstar, Transit, EcoSport, Edge and Explorer.
They will soon transition to making electric motors and electric transaxles for hybrid and full-electric vehicles, including the 2022 F-150 Lightning. Ford says electric motor production will begin this summer, and it expects one to come off the assembly line every 75 seconds.
“The advanced technology we are using at the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center is taking us to the next level for Ford’s electric future,” John Savona, Ford’s vice president, manufacturing and labor affairs, said in a statement. “The electric transformation we are making now is going to allow us to scale quickly as customer interest grows for our new electric vehicles.”
— Michael Martinez
What you need to know
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