Ford Spending $1.3 Billion to Retool Kentucky F-150 Truck Plant
Ford Motor Co. is investing $1.3 billion to convert its truck plant in Louisville, Ky., to begin making the all-new, aluminum-bodied F-Series Super Duty pickup truck in mid-2016.
#aluminum
Ford Motor Co. is investing $1.3 billion to convert its truck plant in Louisville, Ky., to begin making the all-new, aluminum-bodied F-Series Super Duty pickup truck in mid-2016.
The spending will pay for an all-new body shop, retooling and other plant upgrades. Ford also will add about 2,000 jobs at the factory to build five variants of the new Super Duty truck. The facility currently employs 4,400 workers.
Ford says the aluminum-intensive Super Duty truck will weigh about 350 lbs less than the current model but feature a larger cab, more payload capacity and greater towing ability. The Super Duty series accounts for more than 25% of F-Series sales.
Ford CEO Mark Fields has described the Kentucky retooling project as a “normal” launch that will be accomplished during vacation and routine shutdown periods. That’s in sharp contrast to the months of retooling required to launch the original aluminum F-150 pickup in 2014.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Karma from California
Chances are, you (like me) missed the 2017 U.S. Open Polo Championship broadcast.
-
Increasing Use of Structural Adhesives in Automotive
Can you glue a car together? Frank Billotto of DuPont Transportation & Industrial discusses the major role structural adhesives can play in vehicle assembly.
-
Multiple Choices for Light, High-Performance Chassis
How carbon fiber is utilized is as different as the vehicles on which it is used. From full carbon tubs to partial panels to welded steel tube sandwich structures, the only limitation is imagination.