Ford (F) announced it is expanding its production capacity for the company's next-generation battery electric vehicles at a second North American plant. Ford is expanding its BEV manufacturing footprint to its Flat Rock Assembly plant in southeast Michigan. The plant will become the production home to vehicles from the company's next-generation battery electric flexible architecture. These vehicles will follow the all-electric performance SUV coming in 2020 from Ford's Cuautitlan, Mexico, plant.

Through this new plan, Ford is targeting to invest more than $850M in the Flat Rock Assembly Plant through 2023, adding a second shift. The plant investment also includes funding to build the next-generation Mustang and is part of a $900M investment in Ford's operations in southeastern Michigan. The company also announced it will complete Ford's first autonomous vehicles at a new AV manufacturing center in southeast Michigan, upfitting purpose-built, commercial-grade hybrid vehicles with self-driving technology and unique interiors. Production of Ford's first autonomous vehicles will begin in 2021 for deployment in commercial services to move people and goods.

Ford also announced today it is building its next-generation North American Transit Connect small commercial and passenger van in Mexico, starting in 2021. "We've taken a fresh look at the growth rates of electrified vehicles and know we need to protect additional production capacity given our accelerated plans for fully electric vehicles. This is good news for the future of southeast Michigan, delivering more good-paying manufacturing jobs," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president, Global Operations.