Corey Williams, plant supervisor at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant and Rouge electrical car middle, outlines the automaker’s manufacturing plans for the F-150 Lightning electrical pickup throughout a facility tour on Dec. 13, 2022.
Michael Wayland | CNBC
DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford Motor has added a 3rd manufacturing shift to its Michigan plant that produces the electrical F-150 Lightning because it appears to be like to spice up output.
The addition of the third shift comes because the automaker is increasing the newly constructed facility to hit a high capability of 150,000 models by subsequent fall.
Ford is on observe to hit that beforehand introduced manufacturing milestone, Corey Williams, plant supervisor of the Dearborn Truck Plant and Rouge electrical car middle, stated throughout a tour of the ability Tuesday.
The third shift was added in November, bumping up the electrical truck plant’s employment from 500 to roughly 750 folks.
The plant is now working three rotating crews of employees on 10-hour shifts seven days per week, Williams stated, sustaining a excessive degree of manufacturing at the same time as building employees scramble to finish an growth of the ability.
“That is how we’re doing this quick. We’re constructing product whereas constructing” out the manufacturing facility, Williams stated.
Ford had initially deliberate to construct about 40,000 Lightnings per 12 months, in a brand new facility adjoining to its longtime pickup manufacturing facility in Dearborn. But it surely determined to expand the factory to boost production after early demand for the electrical truck exceeded its expectations.
Earlier on Tuesday, MotorTrend journal named the F-150 Lightning is its 2023 truck of the year. The journal’s editors stated the truck obtained unanimous help for the award, citing its total efficiency and attraction to conventional pickup-truck patrons.
Via the top of November, Ford has offered 13,258 F-150 Lightnings.
