Ford To Begin Production of Medium-Duty Commercial Trucks

• Ford kicks off production of 2016 F-650/F-750 for the first time in the United States; medium-duty truck lineup – previously assembled in Mexico – now built at Ohio Assembly Plant
• All-new F-650/F-750 medium-duty truck production shift to Ford’s facility in Avon Lake, Ohio, helps to secure more than 1,000 UAW hourly jobs and $168 million U.S. plant investment
• 2016 Ford F-650/F-750 trucks, available this summer, deliver commercial-grade quality, capability and convenience, and feature segment-exclusive Ford diesel and gasoline engines, delivering strong performance at an affordable price

Ohio Assembly Plant Fact Sheet

AVON LAKE, Ohio, Aug. 12, 2015 – All-new Ford F-650/F-750 medium-duty trucks roll off the line today for the first time in the United States. Production of the trucks at Ohio Assembly Plant, previously built in Mexico, helps secure more than 1,000 hourly UAW jobs and a $168 million plant investment in the United States.

2016 F-650/F-750 trucks, the toughest, smartest, best-value medium-duty trucks ever, anchor Ford’s commercial vehicle lineup – America’s best-selling commercial trucks for 30 straight years. Ford is the only truck manufacturer that provides vocational customers an unmatched one-stop shop to meet their needs – from the Class 1 Transit Connect cargo van to the Class 7 F-750 tractor rig.

“Our investment in Ohio Assembly Plant reinforces our commitment to building vehicles in America and to delivering best-in-class commercial trucks,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president, The Americas. “Working with our partners in the UAW, we found a way to make the costs competitive enough to bring production of a whole new generation of work trucks to Ohio.”

Offered in Regular Cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab body styles and in straight-frame, dock-height and an all-new dedicated tractor model for heavy towing applications, the 2016 F-650/F-750 line features a bold new look inside and out.

Ford is the only medium-duty truck manufacturer that designs and builds its own diesel engine and transmission combination – ensuring the powertrain will work seamlessly with all chassis components and vehicle calibrations.

Along with its 6.7-liter Power Stroke^® V8 diesel engine option, Ford remains the only automaker to offer a gasoline-powered engine in the medium-duty truck segment. The 6.8-liter V10 with 320 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque now will be available for both F-650 and F-750 models with the heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission. The 6.8-liter can be factory-prepped for converting to compressed natural gas or liquid propane gas as cost-effective alternatives to gasoline.

Ohio Assembly Plant investment
In 2014, Ford announced a $168 million investment to shift production of F-650 and F-750 from Mexico to Ohio Assembly Plant, in addition to adding new body shop equipment and other tooling needed to produce the medium-duty vehicles. The production shift from Mexico is part of the collective bargaining agreement Ford and the United Auto Workers negotiated in 2011.

“Through collective bargaining, we were able to secure production of the Ford F-650/F-750 to Ohio Assembly Plant,” said Jimmy Settles, UAW vice president and director, National Ford Department. “Building these world-class vehicles in America helps secure jobs for more than 1,000 UAW members and provides economic growth for the Avon Lake community. Strengthening the economy through job creation continues our efforts to rebuild the American middle-class and communities all across this nation.”

Opened in 1974, Ohio Assembly Plant employs nearly 1,400 people and is one of the largest employers in Lorain County. In addition to now producing all Ford F-650 and F-750 models and configurations, the plant also produces Ford E-Series cutaway vans and stripped chassis.

Toughest, smartest, best-value Ford medium-duty truck ever
2016 Ford F-650/F-750 trucks are the toughest, smartest, best-value Ford medium-duty trucks ever – providing the ideal combination of value, capability and upfit readiness in the segment.

These attributes underscore the F-650/F-750’s position as the future of medium-duty trucks:

• Toughest: Fully designed and developed by Ford truck engineers in Dearborn, Mich.; robot-tested on taxing durability courses; 500,000-plus miles of harsh dynamometer engine testing at extreme power levels and temperatures; Ford-built in the U.S.
• Smartest: All-new upfit-friendly chassis developed in cooperation with leading industry body makers; clean chassis capable of accommodating vocational bodies with little to no modification; all-new dedicated tractor model for heavy towing
• Best value: Choice of segment-exclusive 6.8-liter V10 gas engine or 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel – both backed by Ford’s heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission enhanced for medium-duty use with great power, performance and fuel economy; includes unsurpassed five-year/250,000-mile warranty and national network of Ford service centers

SOURCE: Ford Motor Company