EV Pair Moved from Avon Lake to Mexico

[Harley Lover]

Interesting way for this news to come out:

Quote

The UAW says it will take unspecified action against Ford Motor Co. unless the automaker reverses a decision to build an upcoming vehicle in Mexico that it had previously committed to assembling in Ohio.

Ford did not deny that its plans changed but said it would continue to invest in the Ohio plant. Ford, in a letter to employees Monday, noted "while conditions upon which the 2019 Administrative Letter were based have changed, the company is investing in the plant and increasing production of Super Duty trucks at OHAP."

Ford in its contract with the UAW promised the plant in Avon Lake, Ohio, would receive $900 million in investment, including a "next-generation product" in 2023.Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, said the product at issue is a pair of midsize electric crossovers for the Ford and Lincoln brands that would slot alongside the Mustang Mach-E at the automaker's plant in Cuautitlan, Mexico. AN first reported Ford's plan to build the EVs, code-named CDX746 and CDX747, in August 2019. Suppliers have been told to prepare for annual volume of 75,000 vehicles for the Ford and Lincoln models combined and that they would go into production in mid-2023. 

A person familiar with Ford's plans who asked not to be identified confirmed that Ford was considering building the EVs in Ohio and has since decided to make them in Mexico.

 

Also in the article but not quoted here, the plant manager at Avon Lake wrote a letter to the employees that was quoted in the article; the letter essentially confirmed that the EV's have been moved to Mexico, but also reassured them that Ford has alternative investment for Avon Lake in the commercial truck realm.

 

This decision has me wondering if, longer term, Ford might build its first joint venture battery plant in Mexico as well.

 

Full story: https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/uaw-threatens-action-against-ford-choice-mexico-over-ohio?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20210316&utm_content=hero-headline

 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Harley Lover

[twintornados]

I know Ford made CUV's and minivans there before, but its "strong suit" seems to be trucks... is their something deemed special at OHAP that makes it well suited for truck production?

[silvrsvt]

I always thought that BEV production there was a bit odd. 

[Footballfan]

54 minutes ago, twintornados said:

I know Ford made CUV's and minivans there before, but its "strong suit" seems to be trucks... is their something deemed special at OHAP that makes it well suited for truck production?

I think it would be a lot cheaper for Ford to build trucks at OHAP because it would not require a major overhaul like it would to produce a BEV.  Remember that GM recently reopened its Oshawa plant to build more trucks and Stellantis is scrapped for capacity for its Ram trucks. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Footballfan

[Oac98]

1 hour ago, silvrsvt said:

I always thought that BEV production there was a bit odd. 

I couldn’t agree with you more. I thought maybe they would build them at OAC. Two midsized EV’s sounds like Edge, Fusion Active or Nautilus EVs to me. ICE Edge and Nautilus are winding down around then so it makes me wonder. I also was wondering what else would they build along side the Mach-E now we know two more vehicles are going there. 

[Oac98]

31 minutes ago, Footballfan said:

I think it would be a lot cheaper for Ford to build trucks at OHAP because it would not require a major overhaul like it would to produce a BEV.  Remember that GM recently reopened its Oshawa plant to build more trucks and Stellantis is scrapped for capacity for its Ram trucks. 

That’s why in another thread I questioned where these two midsized EVs we’re gonna go. I never heard a peep about any kind of work going on at Avon lake in preparation for these vehicles. Makes more sense to just build the heavy vehicles there as you said.

[Oac98]

In fact I’m predicting that it will be Nautilus and maybe Fusion Active EV. It’s not mystery of edge and nautilus are going? Am I wrong??

[Bob Rosadini]

Big question as I posted in Medium Duty thread, does the phrase ..."more Super Duty production for OAP" mean moving more  from KTP?  Question I posed, I know they moved 450/550 and I assume 600 chassis cabs from KTP to OAP.  Does KTP also still build these?  Must be some KTP or OAP employees who could give a quick answer to that.

Another thought, might there finally be a new medium duty cab on horizon?  OAP is dealing now with three cabs right?  Aluminum for 450/550, steel for 650/750, and the E Series.  Might there be a new cab that will work for all three.  Plus the air brake option for 7.3 trucks is AGAIN pushed back. I-and many others here- have said the 7.3 should be  home run in 650/750 but in particular at 33,000 GVW the lack of air brakes I think is hurting sales.  In all the pix of a 7.3 with that big BW compressor hanging off the engine says it might be a tight fit in existing hood structure.  Why else would they not do it?

[Bob Rosadini]

17 minutes ago, Bob Rosadini said:

Big question as I posted in Medium Duty thread, does the phrase ..."more Super Duty production for OAP" mean moving more  from KTP?  Question I posed, I know they moved 450/550 and I assume 600 chassis cabs from KTP to OAP.  Does KTP also still build these?  Must be some KTP or OAP employees who could give a quick answer to that.

Another thought, might there finally be a new medium duty cab on horizon?  OAP is dealing now with three cabs right?  Aluminum for 450/550, steel for 650/750, and the E Series.  Might there be a new cab that will work for all three.  Plus the air brake option for 7.3 trucks is AGAIN pushed back. I-and many others here- have said the 7.3 should be  home run in 650/750 but in particular at 33,000 GVW the lack of air brakes I think is hurting sales.  In all the pix of a 7.3 with that big BW compressor hanging off the engine says it might be a tight fit in existing hood structure.  Why else would they not do it?

And let me give a partial  answer to my question- yes I know the compressor fits under the 650/750 hood with the 6.7-and what could be more crowded than that.  So given axles with air brakes are the same be they on a 6.7 powered truck or a 6.8/7.3 powered truck what reason could there possibly be to keep withholding the air brake option because  it  has a 7.3????

 

[paintguy]

5 hours ago, twintornados said:

I know Ford made CUV's and minivans there before, but its "strong suit" seems to be trucks... is their something deemed special at OHAP that makes it well suited for truck production?

Some plants are set up to accommodate taller vehicles and those of BOF construction. Some set up for high production rate, others for lower volume. Of course you can change, and that is expensive. If you can make a product there without $900 million investment all the better for the company. With reaction to the latest convertible note offering, reducing need for capital may have risen on the corporate list.  OHAP has made E series, Super Duty and F 650, 750. For a while they made Merc Villager, Nissan Quest, and Escape/Mariner. Safe to say OHAP is well suited to Truck/large van assembly. BTW recall at one time 80% of OHAP production color was white vehicles. 

[rmc523]

7 hours ago, silvrsvt said:

I always thought that BEV production there was a bit odd. 

 

100% agree.  I think I said that at the time too.  Didn't make much sense at all given the products that are there.  I'm sure Ford will add some sort of electrified commercial product there.

 

Also, this gives Cuautitlan more product than just Mach E.

 

The question now is what other products are going to Oakville?

 

4 hours ago, Bob Rosadini said:

Big question as I posted in Medium Duty thread, does the phrase ..."more Super Duty production for OAP" mean moving more  from KTP?  Question I posed, I know they moved 450/550 and I assume 600 chassis cabs from KTP to OAP.  Does KTP also still build these?  Must be some KTP or OAP employees who could give a quick answer to that.

Another thought, might there finally be a new medium duty cab on horizon?  OAP is dealing now with three cabs right?  Aluminum for 450/550, steel for 650/750, and the E Series.  Might there be a new cab that will work for all three.  Plus the air brake option for 7.3 trucks is AGAIN pushed back. I-and many others here- have said the 7.3 should be  home run in 650/750 but in particular at 33,000 GVW the lack of air brakes I think is hurting sales.  In all the pix of a 7.3 with that big BW compressor hanging off the engine says it might be a tight fit in existing hood structure.  Why else would they not do it?

 

As long as 450/550 remains based on the 250/350 Super Duty, I can't see it changing from that cab.  The other two, sure.  Eventually the tooling will go bad and need to be replaced anyway, and the question will be whether it's worth changing the design at that point.

[bzcat]

Just a guess:

 

Oakville: MEB plant

Cuautitlán: Model E plant 

Ohio: New medium duty - assuming Ford actually has a plan to replace E-series and F-650

Chicago: CD6 plant

Louisville: C2 plant #1

Hermosillo: C2 plant #2

Kentucky: Superduty and Expedition

Kansas City: Transit and F-150

Detroit: F-150

Michigan: T6 plant

Flat Rock: S650 plant

 

Flat Rock will need more products... can't keep the lights on with just Mustang in the long haul.

[twintornados]

27 minutes ago, bzcat said:

...Flat Rock will need more products... can't keep the lights on with just Mustang in the long haul.

 

Well, if the rumored 4 door Mustang inspired sedan as part of expanding the Mustang icon status is produced, it would be a good start, but I agree...Flat Rock needs more product.

[fuzzymoomoo]

35 minutes ago, twintornados said:

 

Well, if the rumored 4 door Mustang inspired sedan as part of expanding the Mustang icon status is produced, it would be a good start, but I agree...Flat Rock needs more product.

There's a rumor of.... something... for Flat Rock. What that turns out to be I really have no clue. 

[forddd]

Basing this off of nothing more than the voices in my head, but could FRAP be converted to a battery plant and Mustang move to another plant?

[rmc523]

20 minutes ago, forddd said:

Basing this off of nothing more than the voices in my head, but could FRAP be converted to a battery plant and Mustang move to another plant?

Not sure what that would accomplish.....and what plant would it go to?

[fuzzymoomoo]

4 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

Not sure what that would accomplish.....and what plant would it go to?

There was a plan at one point. I'll leave it at that. 

[forddd]

4 minutes ago, rmc523 said:

Not sure what that would accomplish.....and what plant would it go to?

It would allow Ford to have a battery factory without having to build one from scratch. 
I really don’t know where you would move Mustang. It seems MAP is the only one in the US that has capacity but that may not be for long. 

[Footballfan]

It seems Ford changes their plans the way most people change their socks!

Edited March 17, 2021 by Footballfan

[Footballfan]

11 minutes ago, forddd said:

It would allow Ford to have a battery factory without having to build one from scratch. 
I really don’t know where you would move Mustang. It seems MAP is the only one in the US that has capacity but that may not be for long. 

I think what was left of the old Wayne assembly plant has been absorbed by MAP operations. 

[Footballfan]

39 minutes ago, forddd said:

Basing this off of nothing more than the voices in my head, but could FRAP be converted to a battery plant and Mustang move to another plant?

Im heard a rumor they may make batteries at Romeo after it is cleared out in a few years.  

[Footballfan]

1 hour ago, twintornados said:

 

Well, if the rumored 4 door Mustang inspired sedan as part of expanding the Mustang icon status is produced, it would be a good start, but I agree...Flat Rock needs more product.

 

55 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:

There's a rumor of.... something... for Flat Rock. What that turns out to be I really have no clue. 

If Ford were smart they would produce the rumored Fusion Active off of CD6 and call it some sort of Mustang.  

[fuzzymoomoo]

3 minutes ago, Footballfan said:

I think what was left of the old Wayne assembly plant has been absorbed by MAP operations. 

What hasn't been take up by a few body sub lines (which isn't much, maybe 15-20% of the floor space) has been taken over as the now MOD center for Bronco. 

[fuzzymoomoo]

2 minutes ago, Footballfan said:

Im heard a rumor they may make batteries at Romeo after it is cleared out in a few years.  

I had mentioned a few weeks back that it would make sense but I haven't heard any rumors. 

[AGR]

It's my uneducated guess that they're going to move some SD pickup production to Avon Lake, since they already build the SD chassis cabs there. This would free up capacity at KTP for more SUVs.