Ford to hold launch ceremony for 2012 Focus at Wayne plant

Ford began producing its 2012 Focus in Wayne in January, and vehicles are beginning to arrive in showrooms now. Ford announced a $550 million investment last year to build the Focus and its battery-electric sibling at the plant.



Among the expected crowd of over 1000 people will be Gov. Rick Snyder, Ford Americas President Mark Fields, manufacturing chief John Fleming, UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles, Ford dealers, key suppliers and workers.

Ford's Wayne plant is the only one in the world to produce a gas-powered, electric, and hybrid-electric all in the same building. Ford wants to keep them all together so that they can shift production based on demand. If there's a rush on the Ford Focus Electric, they can put more of the Focus EV out and back off on the gas powered Ford Focus, which is likely if gas prices continue to climb.

Ford has returned jobs from Mexico to the Rawsonville plant to build battery packs for the Hybrid Ford Focus and the Ford Focus Electric.

Does anyone know the production capability of the plant? I saw an interview with a Ford engineer where they were talking about production rates. He said a very small number of only 7,000 to 10,000 EVs.

Is that 7000 to 10000 Ford Focus Electric vehicles per year?! That's not very many - that would put Ford right on par with Nissan, not being able to keep up with the demand. Especially at first I think there will be a need for more Focus EVs than that!