Ford officially renamed the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center in May
Photo: Ford
In May, Ford announced that one of its Michigan plants will change its name after 50 years. The former Van Dyke Transmission Plant now becomes the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center ahead of the plant starting work on electric vehicles.
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Since opening in 1968, the Van Dyke plant has built suspension and transmission components for Ford vehicles. Under the new name, the Electric Powertrain Center will begin production on electric motors and electric transaxles for vehicles like the upcoming 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning.
A 2020 investment allowed Ford to retain 225 jobs
Photo: Ford
Ford invested $150 million in Van Dyke late last year to help the plant retain 225 jobs and expedite the changeover process. Currently, the plant employs 1,050 people in the production of transmissions for vehicles like the Edge, Escape, and EcoSport.
Van Dyke expects to kick off full-scale production of the eMotor this summer. Ford anticipates that the plant will build one electric motor every 75 seconds.
“The advanced technology we are using at the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center is taking us to the next level for Ford’s electric future,” says John Savona, vice president, manufacturing and labor affairs, Ford Motor Company. “The electric transformation we are making now is going to allow us to scale quickly as customer interest grows for our new electric vehicles.”
The plant has been a leader in green innovation for Ford in the past. In 2021, the plant was responsible for producing Ford’s first front-wheel-drive hybrid transmission. A year later, it became the automaker’s first North American facility to go zero-waste-to-landfill, setting the stage for Ford to target the goal of full carbon neutrality by 2050.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.
