Ford announced plans to expand production capacity for its next-generation fully electric vehicles at its assembly plant in Flat Rock, Michigan. The company plans to invest more than $850 million through 2023 while adding a second shift.

The automaker is investing approximately $900 million in its southeast Michigan manufacturing footprint and targeting 900 incremental direct new jobs through 2023.

Southeast Michigan workers also will make Ford’s first autonomous vehicles starting in 2021, according to the automarker. Ford also is investing in an Autonomous Vehicle center where employees will install the vehicles’ unique self-driving technology and unique interiors.

Ford also is building its next-generation North American Transit Connect in North America in 2021, boosting program profits and regional content, in line with the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Company officials explained “tied to the company’s $11.1 billion investment in global electric vehicles, Ford is expanding its BEV manufacturing footprint to its Flat Rock Assembly plant in southeast Michigan. The plant will become the production home to vehicles from the company’s next-generation battery electric flexible architecture. These vehicles will follow the all-electric performance SUV coming in 2020 from Ford’s Cuautitlan, Mexico, plant.”

“We’ve taken a fresh look at the growth rates of electrified vehicles and know we need to protect additional production capacity given our accelerated plans for fully electric vehicles,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s President, Global Operations. “This is good news for the future of southeast Michigan, delivering more good-paying manufacturing jobs.”

“As we ramp up AV production, this plan allows us to adjust our investment spending to accommodate the pace of growth of this exciting new technology,” Hinrichs said. “This new plan combines our core strength in mass manufacturing with the agility and leanness we’ve shown with our modification centers for specialty manufacturing.”

“We continue driving to find new and better ways to boost our fitness as a company and one of the world’s leading manufacturers,” Hinrichs said. “Working together with our employees, union partners and government officials around the world, we are continuing to unlock new solutions to deliver world-class vehicles people want and value even more efficiently.”