Ford to shift workers to Lightning assembly plant

[Pioneer74]

Ford Motor Co. is planning to shift hundreds of workers from the Dearborn Truck Plant to the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center this summer, the Detroit Free Press has learned.

As Ford ramps up its all-electric F-150 Lightning production to an annual run rate of 150,000 vehicles, in an effort to meet overwhelming customer demand, the automaker will shift an 800-person crew from one plant to the other in Dearborn, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker confirmed Tuesday.

"We will also hire an additional 300 new (hourly) employees at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center as we scale toward max production," she said.

The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center is scheduled to shut down for six weeks, from June 19 to July 31, to complete the factory expansion, she said.

"With the new staffing plan, Ford will have about 1,800 employees building the F-150 Lightning on three crews. At the same time, we’ll build gas-powered F-150s with 2,600 employees on two shifts at Dearborn Truck Plant and 2,800 people on three crews at the Kansas City Assembly Plant," she said. "This will give Ford maximum overall production and flexibility to meet high demand for America’s best-selling truck, gas and electric."

https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...arborn-truck-plant-rouge-workers/70079536007/

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[TaxmanHog]

Awesome news!!!!

 

[Crilly]

If anyone is waiting for parts, I hope they catch up while having the assembly shutdown.

 

[TechTutor]

Too bad Ford only wants to build Platinums and Lariats. I think there is a market for an affordable work truck that is BEV. Don’t really need nor desire butt massagers in the seat between work sites, nor that ugly a$$ big tablet on the dashboard.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Too bad Ford only wants to build Platinums and Lariats. I think there is a market for an affordable work truck that is BEV. Don’t really need nor desire butt massagers in the seat between work sites, nor that ugly a$$ big tablet on the dashboard.

I understand you may be speaking generally, but 4/17 build week stickers just posted, the two samples from the forum order table for this week are both PRO's, not sure about the other 725 trucks being built though.....

 

[bmwhitetx]

https://www.freep.com/story/money/c...arborn-truck-plant-rouge-workers/70079536007/

@Pioneer74 My wife and I are visiting central Michigan in mid-June. I just bought tickets for the Rouge Factory Tour for June 15th. According to the article, production will stop on the 19th. Do you think this will impact what we will see on the tour? Does the tour even go to the Lightning plant?

 

[Henry Ford]

Too bad Ford only wants to build Platinums and Lariats. I think there is a market for an affordable work truck that is BEV. Don’t really need nor desire butt massagers in the seat between work sites, nor that ugly a$$ big tablet on the dashboard.

Ford will build lots and lots of XLTs, but right now they lose money on every truck that rolls out of the plant. They lose less money on every Platinum and Lariat. When you factor in limited production capacity you can see why most Lightnings are Lariats, though Platinums are relatively rare.

Plus, some of us need a butt massage between the Pilates studio and Latte Shop!

 

[Pioneer74]

@Pioneer74 My wife and I are visiting central Michigan in mid-June. I just bought tickets for the Rouge Factory Tour for June 15th. According to the article, production will stop on the 19th. Do you think this will impact what we will see on the tour? Does the tour even go to the Lightning plant?

The tour only goes through the ICE plant. Your tour should be unaffected by anything going on around the site

 

[TaxmanHog]

The tour only goes through the ICE plant. Your tour should be unaffected by anything going on around the site

Sorry to hear this, I was hoping to get a peek of the Lightning production this summer, me and a few buddies are thinking of a MC road trip out that way.

 

[Skipdart]

Glad to hear it! Gotta wonder if the proposed new regulations from the EPA about cutting emissions is steering that movement. No way automakers can get compliant in time if they don't focus heavily on EVs.

 

[Pioneer74]

Glad to hear it! Gotta wonder if the proposed new regulations from the EPA about cutting emissions is steering that movement. No way automakers can get compliant in time if they don't focus heavily on EVs.

It wasnt the EPA but the production increase. As soon as the plant expansion was approved the move was bound to happen. Body and Paint could never keep up with Final running 3 crews and the REVC needing 150k units too.

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