Michigan gets a boost as Ford plans 220 'green' auto jobs

Ford, just like General Motors, is doubling down on hybrid and pure electric-powered cars. It said today that it plans to invest $135 million into its hurtin' home state of Michigan, creating 220 badly needed jobs.

The money will create a "center for excellence in vehicle electrification" that will "keep Ford on the cutting edge," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas. The investment will be used to expand hybrid-electric research, engineering and manufacturing capabilities at two Michigan plants.

The automaker is looking to market five new fully electric or hybrid-electric cars in North America by 2012 and by 2013 in Europe. The lineup includes:

• Transit Connect Electric, a fully electric van with a range of up to 80 miles per charge. Intended for commercial use, the TCE will go into production in late 2010.
• Lincoln MKZ, a hybrid-electric luxury vehicle that will deliver 41 miles per gallon. The MKZ will be available this fall.
• The fully-electric Ford Focus, due in 2011.

Ford will hire 170 at two transmission plants to make battery packs and electric-vehicle components and another 50 electric-vehicle engineers. Why Michigan, more than just about any other state, needs those jobs:

At 14%, Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm hopes that Ford's investment will continue moving Michigan from the "Rust Belt to the Green Belt" and just maybe help a few workers get back to the factories.

"We're working hard to make Michigan the center for electrified vehicle technology and production," she said.

General Motors, that other car company in Michigan, is developing an electric-powered car of its own. The Chevrolet Volt is a slick-looking sedan said to get 40 miles per charge. A small gasoline motor will keep it going 300 miles more, according to the Associated Press.

No price tag has been released yet, but early estimates put it the $35,000 range. Uncle Sam will pony up a $7,500 tax credit to help ease the pain.
Overall, GM has poured about $700 million into various Michigan-based factories.
"We know the Volt is the last hurrah for GM," GM employee Steve Prucnell told the AP, "It's either do or die." One hopes that Americans won't mind going electric.

-Charlie Szold/Drive On