Ford announced today that it will be investing a total of $2.5 billion in new engine and transmission facilities in Mexico, allowing the Blue Oval to join a growing number of automakers opening new plants in the country.
Ford already has an existing plant in Chihuahua, Mexico, and that’s where a new facility will rise, hosting the manufacture of a new gasoline engine for the company’s small vehicles. The gas engine will be exported to several markets, including the U.S. and Canada, South America, and the Asia Pacific. In addition to this, Ford also confirmed it will be expanding diesel and inline-four engine production in Mexico. Additionally, Ford is manufacturing a new plant in Guanajuato, which will take care of the manufacture of two brand-new automatic transmissions. The Guanajuato plant will manufacture transmissions for Fords sold in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region.
The confirmation of the two new facilities comes at the same time as Ford’s 90th anniversary in Mexico; the automaker produces the Ford Fiesta and Fusion Hybrid and the Lincoln MKZ and MKZ Hybrid south of the border. And, as is always the case when new plants open, Ford will be creating new jobs with the two plants. The company already has 11,300 workers in Mexico, and this number will grow by 3,800 when the new plants open.