Raulken co.UK - Ford plant dumps SUVs, goes small

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60? "60px": "auto" ); height:expression(do*****ent.body.clientHeight > 60? "60px": "auto" );' onload=this.style.filter='progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Shadow(color=#000000,direction=135,strength=5)'>NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ford Motor said Wednesday it will spend $550 million to convert a plant, which previously produced trucks and SUVs, into a "green" manufacturing complex building small fuel-efficient and electric cars. The automaker said its Michigan Assembly Plant, in Wayne, will begin producing the Ford Focus, a compact car, in 2010. It also plans to begin making a battery-powered electric version of the Focus at the plant in 2011. 0:00 /3:17Ford's battery race"We're changing from a company focused mainly on trucks and SUVs to a company with a balanced product lineup that includes even more high-quality, fuel-efficient small cars, hybrids and all-electric vehicles," said Mark Fields, Ford's president of The Americas, in a statement. Ford said the plant will support about 3,200 jobs and is one of three North American factories being retooled to handle its new compact car platform. Ford formerly used the facility to manufacture its Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. The automaker said the conversion is part of its "fundamental strategic shift" to bring small cars to the American market by the end of 2012. As such, it plans to produce 2 million of these new small cars annually around the world."As customers move to more fuel-efficient vehicles, we'll be there with more of the products they really want."In addition to the Michigan Assembly Plant, Ford said it plans to retool its Cuautitlan...
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