Bryan1 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Ford is canceling plans to build a new plant in Mexico. It will invest $700 million in Michigan instead, creating 700 new U.S. jobs. http://money.cnn.com/2017/01/03/news/economy/ford-700-jobs-trump/index.html The $700 million investment will go to the Flat Rock, Michigan plant to produce more electric and self-driving cars. Ford believes electric vehicles will outsell gas-powered vehicles within the next 15 years. Ford is planning to roll out seven new electric vehicles in the next five years, including a Mustang Hybrid. ----- A big U-turn for Ford The news is a major U-turn for Ford. Last year, the company announced it would invest $1.6 billion in Mexico to transfer production of the Ford Focus from Michigan to Mexico to save costs. Now the Focus will be built at an existing plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, and Ford will instead expand its plant in Michigan. "This is a vote of confidence" in Trump and the economy, said Fields. We are "encouraged by pro-growth policies, particularly reform around tax and regulatory policies." ----- Drudge headline: GREAT AGAIN: CONSTRUCTION HITS 10 YEAR HIGH FORD CANCELS MEXICO PLANT; EXPANDING IN MICHIGAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 The thing I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around is all the Trump related hysterics about US Companies not moving jobs to Mexico...when its still actually happening. Give his relationship with the mainstream industry, you'd think they'd be lambasting him on it. Ford doesn't really need another plant with the SAAR expected to drop down from the current 17-18 million cars sold a year, given the way the market is changing and moving to CUV type vehicles overall vs sedans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Not to start a political debate but I have to wonder if this would have happened if Hillary had won the election. Sounds like Ford is counting on tax and regulation changes promised by Trump to create more US jobs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Ford is essentially cutting it's growth plans which is not a positive thing but probably what is necessary. Still, no plans to grow utility production. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan1 Posted January 3, 2017 Author Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) If anyone thinks that Ford would have cancelled moving the plant to Mexico if Hillary had won the election, they are delusional. The CEO of FORD was quoted as contributing Trump’s pro business stance. DTJ is going to lift a lot of the EPA stranglehold regulations that will help Ford do business in the US vs Mexico. If Hillary had won do you think this would be happening! Edited January 3, 2017 by Bryan1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Not to start a political debate but I have to wonder if this would have happened if Hillary had won the election. Sounds like Ford is counting on tax and regulation changes promised by Trump to create more US jobs. Fields said that's exactly the case http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/03/ford-to-scrap-mexico-plant-invest-in-michigan-due-to-trump-policies.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Also, leave it to ol' don to take credit for it on twitter #lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) So the Mexico plant still has to be happening, no? Just scaled down perhaps? Because they're still moving Focus out of MAP for Bronco/Ranger/Vehicle X production, where will Focus be made now? They have to make it somewhere, and I don't think there's really anywhere else to make it, is there? --- Reading the press release, it says 13 new electrified/hybrid vehicles in the next 5 years, including F-150 and Mustang.....could we see the F-150 Hybrid debut with the refresh? Didn't we see mules of it already? Edited January 3, 2017 by rmc523 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 So the Mexico plant still has to be happening, no? Just scaled down perhaps? Because they're still moving Focus out of MAP for Bronco/Ranger/Vehicle X production, where will Focus be made now? They have to make it somewhere, and I don't think there's really anywhere else to make it, is there? Fields already said what's happening. San Louis Potosi is outright cancelled and Focus is moving to Hermosillo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) If anyone thinks that Ford would have cancelled moving the plant to Mexico if Hillary had won the election, they are delusional. The CEO of FORD was quoted as contributing Trump’s pro business stance. DTJ is going to lift a lot of the EPA stranglehold regulations that will help Ford do business in the US vs Mexico. If Hillary had won do you think this would be happening! Why? Does Ford really need an additional 300-400K units a year of capacity in a market where the SAAR has been at all time highs and will shrink a significant amount in the next couple years? The market is shifting to CUV's (handled by the Bronco and Ecosport going on sale in the next 24 months) and sedan sales are shrinking, which will allow the Focus and Fusion to be built at the same plant. Its nothing more then a smart business decision given what the market is going to be facing the next 5 years or so. Edited January 3, 2017 by silvrsvt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blksn8k2 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Could be just a happy coincidence that both Ford and Trump can take advantage of. Ford can do what makes financial sense while seeming to play along and Trump can say "Thank you for listening to me". Everybody gets good press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Fields already said what's happening. San Louis Potosi is outright cancelled and Focus is moving to Hermosillo Admittedly, I posted that before reading he full press release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Still, no plans to grow utility production. Bronco, Ecosport, Aviator and the new fully electric utility makes 4 NEW utilities with Navigator, Expedition and Explorer being completely new models. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) Bronco, Ecosport, Aviator and the new fully electric utility makes 4 NEW utilities with Navigator, Expedition and Explorer being completely new models. He means production capacity. Bronco will be new capacity. EcoSport is produced elsewhere, not affecting US capacity. Aviator fills the gap vacated by MKS. Expy/Navi will be about the same as before. Edited January 3, 2017 by rmc523 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I think Expy and Navigator sales will be up at least 50% so that's additional production. Aviator replacing MKS is still additional utility production. The only place Ford might be constrained by utility capacity is Escape. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I think Expy and Navigator sales will be up at least 50% so that's additional production. Aviator replacing MKS is still additional utility production. The only place Ford might be constrained by utility capacity is Escape. True. And my theory is some of the allocated Mexico plant money goes to Louisville expansion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzcat Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) This looks like the car production plan going forward... feel free to disagree but looks like Ford decided to scrap Transit Connect (and related pickup truck). The original plan for the new Mexico plant was Focus and Model E, which would have allowed Flat Rock to be the Escape/MKC overflow. Hermosillo: Focus, Fusion, MKZ Cuautitlán: Fiesta? EcoSport (and something else... Transit Connect Escape overflow?) Louisville: Escape, MKC Flat Rock: Mustang, Model E, Continental, Uber mobile Oakville: Edge, MKX Chicago: Explorer, MK? Edited January 3, 2017 by bzcat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 This looks like the car production plan going forward... feel free to disagree but looks like Ford decided to scrap Transit Connect (and related pickup truck). The original plan for the new Mexico plant was Focus and Model E, which would have allowed Flat Rock to be the Escape/MKC overflow. Hermosillo: Focus, Fusion, MKZ Cuautitlán: Fiesta? EcoSport (and something else... Transit Connect Escape overflow?) Louisville: Escape, MKC Flat Rock: Mustang, Model E, Continental, Uber mobile Oakville: Edge, MKX Chicago: Explorer, MK? Couldn't the Model E be the same thing as the Uber Mobile? Also Chicago still would be making Police Interceptors....Ford said they are doing a Hybrid models of both interceptors...which leads me to believe that either we are getting another Taurus, or the current Explorer lives on the D4 platform alot longer then many of us would have expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Had construction on the new plant already begun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 I would not be surprised to see a new CD6 Taurus to go with the CD6 Explorer including the PIs. Makes sense to consolidate to one platform. I also think Continental will eventually move to CD6. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Couldn't the Model E be the same thing as the Uber Mobile? Also Chicago still would be making Police Interceptors....Ford said they are doing a Hybrid models of both interceptors...which leads me to believe that either we are getting another Taurus, or the current Explorer lives on the D4 platform alot longer then many of us would have expected. No, Ford spelled them out separately: An all-new fully electric small SUV, coming by 2020, engineered to deliver an estimated range of at least 300 miles, to be built at the Flat Rock plant and sold in North America, Europe and Asia A high-volume autonomous vehicle designed for commercial ride hailing or ride sharing, starting in North America. The hybrid vehicle will debut in 2021 and will be built at the Flat Rock plant It didn't say both existing Interceptors, it said.... Two new, pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles. One of the two new hybrid police vehicles will be built in Chicago, and both will be upfitted with their police gear at Ford’s dedicated police vehicle modification center in ChicagoSo only one of the two hybrid interceptors will be made in Chicago, and since we know Taurus/PI is an orphan, it has to be Explorer. My theory for the other one is a Expy hybrid Pursuit unit, like the Tahoe. The police market seems to be following the overall market in switching to crossovers/SUVs over sedans. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Had construction on the new plant already begun? I don't know for sure, but I doubt it if they're cancelling it like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 No, Ford spelled them out separately: An all-new fully electric small SUV, coming by 2020, engineered to deliver an estimated range of at least 300 miles, to be built at the Flat Rock plant and sold in North America, Europe and Asia A high-volume autonomous vehicle designed for commercial ride hailing or ride sharing, starting in North America. The hybrid vehicle will debut in 2021 and will be built at the Flat Rock plant Hmmm...I guess Flat Rock is going to be getting lots of money....then again between the Mustang and Conti, they prob have an extra 150K of capacity there if they went full out with that plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 Hmmm...I guess Flat Rock is going to be getting lots of money....then again between the Mustang and Conti, they prob have an extra 150K of capacity there if they went full out with that plant. FRAP is getting a $700M investment/expansion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 3, 2017 Share Posted January 3, 2017 So only one of the two hybrid interceptors will be made in Chicago, and since we know Taurus/PI is an orphan, it has to be Explorer. My theory for the other one is a Expy hybrid Pursuit unit, like the Tahoe. Mustang? They've used them before as pursuit vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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