Ford Motor Company said it is increasing production of the Bronco and Ranger, while reducing production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning.
According to Ford, they will create 900 new jobs and add a third crew at the Michigan Assembly Plant for production of the Bronco, Bronco Raptor, Ranger and Ranger Raptor.
The automaker said that the 1,600-person third crew will also include about 700 employees from Ford's Rouge Complex in Dearborn who applied for job openings. At Michigan Assembly, the plant will begin producing vehicles seven days a week.
According to the automaker, the production of the F-150 Lightning pickup will be reduced "to achieve the optimal balance of production, sales growth and profitability."
“We are taking advantage of our manufacturing flexibility to offer customers choices while balancing our growth and profitability. Customers love the F-150 Lightning, America's best-selling EV pickup,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. “We see a bright future for electric vehicles for specific consumers, especially with our upcoming digitally advanced EVs and access to Tesla's charging network beginning this quarter."
According to Ford, about 1,400 employees will be impacted at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center as it transitions to one shift on April 1. About 700 of those will transfer to the Michigan Assembly Plant and the others will be placed in roles at the Rouge complex or other metro Detroit facilities.
Ford said there could be some employees impacted at component plants supporting F-150 Lighting production. According to the automaker, the "few dozen" employees would be given placement somewhere else in metro Detroit.
