LANSING, Mich., Sept. 16, 2021 – Ford announced today that its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn is complete. The first F-150 Lightning pre-production trucks are leaving the factory for real-world testing. Ford also announced plans to invest an additional $250 million to create 450 jobs in Dearborn, Ypsilanti and Sterling Heights to support the production of the new F-150 Lightning. In response, state Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton), who spent eight years working in Detroit’s automotive industry, issued the following statement:
“Thanks to all of the innovative companies continuing to invest in Southeast Michigan, we’re enjoying a renaissance of the automotive industry. This announcement only furthers that progress, bringing back good-paying, union jobs that were once plentiful in the region. Electric vehicles like the F-150 Lightning will energize our community and help rebuild a struggling middle class. And as an appointee to Gov. Whitmer’s Council on Future Mobility and Electrification, I am thrilled to see our state jumpstart the mass adoption of electric vehicles in the country and look forward to driving the Lightning soon. Michigan’s once again leading the way in the automotive industry.”