Zoomi Life

Ford has announced that they’re retooling the Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, Michigan to become the Michigan Assembly Plant.  This means that the facility will no longer build SUVs and will instead become a flexible small car plant.

Or, as Ford puts it, they’re transforming the plant into a “lean, green and flexible manufacturing complex” that will Focus (couldn’t stop myself) on building Ford’s eco-cars.  This includes the hybrid Focus, slated for release next year and also the battery-electric version (BEV) of the Focus due out in 2011.

The plant used to make Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators.  Ford plans to retool two more light truck plants throughout North America over the next few years for this same purpose.

The plants are also going to see several modern upgrades to increase efficiency of production as well as other ecological improvements to plant design.

Ford plans to have at least six world-class efficiency cars on the market by 2012. The other two plants to be retooled are the Cuautitlan Assembly plant in Mexico (to make the Fiesta, how fitting) and the Louisville Assembly Plant, in Kentucky, which will make upcoming variants of the Focus’ C-car platform.

Ford also plans to have both a hybrid and plug-in hybrid by 2012.

Source: Ford