DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. is investing an additional $250 million and adding 450 new jobs at three Detroit-area factories to meet growing demand for its much-anticipated F-150 Lightning pickup truck. The investment will affect the Rawsonville Components Plant in Ypsilanti, MI; the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, MI; and the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center in Sterling Heights, MI (recipient of the 2018 Assembly Plant of the Year Award).

Ford recently began assembling preproduction versions of the F-150 Lightning, which already has more than 150,000 reservations, with deliveries set to begin early next year.

Workers at the Rawsonville Components Plant are assembling battery packs, while the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center is supplying electric motors and electric transaxles for the F-150 Lightning. The new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center is part of Ford’s historic Rouge complex. It was built on the site of the old Dearborn Assembly Plant, using its recycled foundation and construction materials.

“We knew the F-150 Lightning was special, but the interest from the public has surpassed our highest expectations and changed the conversation around electric vehicles,” says Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford Motor Co. “So, we are doubling down, adding jobs and investment to increase production. This truck, and the Ford-UAW workers who are assembling it in Michigan, have a chance to make history and lead the electric vehicle movement in America.”