On September 27th, Ford spokespeople and Kentucky officials came together at Louisville’s Kentucky Truck Plant to make an announcement. They revealed that Ford is investing $700 million in the Kentucky Truck Plant to create 500 more jobs and build a newly-designed Super Duty gasoline-powered truck.
How will this money be used at the plant, and when will we see this new Super Duty at Ford dealerships? What does this mean for Ford’s future when manufacturers have focused on electric vehicles more than ever?
More Money, Jobs, and Trucks in Louisville, Kentucky
This plant is the bigger of the two major ones in the area, providing over 8,000 jobs and a high percentage of America’s F-Series trucks to Ford dealerships. Ford’s $700 million investment is intended to help create more jobs and update or add equipment so that the plant is fully prepared to manufacture a new Super Duty truck that was announced at the same time.
As of now, there’s very little information available about the new Super Duty truck this investment is supposed to promote. But according to advertisements, you can expect to see it soon!
Ford’s Electric and Gas Plans Meet in Kentucky
Governor Andy Beshear applauded the move as a way to help boost Kentucky’s economy and prove that the vital work being done by the Kentucky Truck Plant wouldn’t end any time soon, even with Ford’s all-electric advancement plans.
Strangely, this move comes alongside a recent uptick in electric vehicle manufacturing plants. Ford has spent billions bringing all-electric vehicles like the F-150 Lightning to Ford dealerships across the country. The company announced plans to build two electric vehicle battery manufacturing plants in nearby Hardin County last year.
This suggests that Ford has decided to invest in electric vehicles while keeping up with gas-powered truck manufacturing. While this doesn’t make much sense at first glance, it’s a strategy that may be more beneficial than expected.
The Plan for Ford’s Future
While speaking about the new Super Duty and the future of the Louisville plant, Ford spokespeople commented on the company’s future and the reasoning behind a strategy that included electric and gas investments.
According to John Savona, the vice president of American manufacturing in Ford’s gas-powered vehicle division, the needs of gas-powered trucks like the new Super Duty can’t be met by current electric vehicle technology. He said that not even Ford has “the technology today to do what our customers expect (in electric form), so we think we have a long and strong future here.”
While automakers are heading quickly toward all-electric, emissions-reducing vehicles, it’s unlikely that gas-powered trucks will die out any time soon. Ford’s using a clever tactic of devoting time and money to catching up with electric needs while capitalizing on its current domination of the large pickup market.
With this, no one has to worry about missing their favorite gas-powered truck when stepping foot in a Ford dealership anytime soon.
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