Ford Going Forward on LB Electric Vehicle R&D Center

Ford Motor Co. is scaling back on its electric vehicle (EV) production plan, but not in Long Beach.

In late August, Ford announced it could lose as much as $5.5 billion this year in its electric vehicle unit as sales have been declining and capital expenditures are high on EV expenditures including battery-sourcing plans. The company will be canceling plans for an all-electric sport utility vehicle, along with a next-generation electric pickup truck.

Ford CEO Jim Farley thinks the automaker can thrive in EV sales that are priced on par with traditional vehicles. That will include an all-electric mid-size pickup that should debut in 2027. The company is hoping they’ll be able to turn a profit on these vehicles within a year of their launch. These trucks would be designed at the new Ford facility that will soon come to Long Beach.

Ford previously had announced that a research-and-development team will be working on the company’s next generation of electric vehicles and it will soon be headquartered in Douglas Park, next to the Long Beach Airport. It will be on a 250,000-square-foot lot that the company has leased.

Emma Bergg, director, Electric Vehicle, Energy & Battery Tech Communications at Ford Motor Co., confirmed to Beachcomber that it’s still slated to be open in early 2025 and is expected to bring in about 450 jobs to Long Beach. It’s also been confirmed by Ford that the first vehicle off the platform will be a mid-size truck coming in 2027, Bergg said in an email.

Announcement Came from Grow Long Beach

Ford’s plan to come to Long Beach was announced on June 26 at the city’s Grow Long Beach event at Aquarium of the Pacific’s Honda Pacific Vision Theater. Mayor Rex Richardson said that progress had been made over the previous year for the Grow Long Beach initiative, the City of Long Beach’s plan to build a thriving and sustainable local economy by focusing on five key growth sectors.

Richardson welcomed Ford’s Electric Vehicle, Digital & Design Officer Doug Field and Head of the new Ford Long Beach Division, Executive Director – Advanced EV Development, Alan Clark.

“The arrival of Ford Motor Company, along with the announcement of thousands of new clean tech and high-quality jobs on hand, is evidence that our Grow Long Beach focus is working,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “We’re fostering a hub of innovation by expanding engineering, tech and advanced manufacturing – creating jobs that also support families in our local workforce.”

Another significant announcement at that event was that Ampaire, a Top 100 Global Cleantech company at the forefront of hybrid electric aircraft systems development, has selected Long Beach as the location of their new headquarters. Ampaire is relocating its headquarters from Hawthorne, Calif., to a larger facility at Long Beach Airport so that the company can expand its research and development activities. The company held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new Long Beach headquarters on August 27, according to Aviation International News.

The Grow Long Beach presentation also stated that the Port of Long Beach is seeing record levels of federal investments to support clean energy, including a $1.57 billion investment and adding 1,100 new union labor construction jobs.

Other highlights were additional updates on increases in the local affordable housing production; decrease in homelessness for the first time in seven years; ongoing investments in arts, culture and tourism; and the city’s role as the largest venue city for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ford Motor Co. previously had a plant in Long Beach that opened in 1936 but closed 65 years ago.

Last month, Ford reported that it decided to increase its output of gas-electric hybrid models, which has been seeing increased demand from car shoppers. One variant, which Ford calls extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, have done well in China and will be part of the U.S. strategy. These vehicles use a small gasoline engine to keep an on-board battery charged while driving, which produces longer driving range.

The company is thinking about adding extended-range EV technology for its next-generation three-row SUVs, as it looks at offering a range of powertrain options throughout its vehicle lineup.

An electric pickup would be of interest to car shoppers in Southern California and throughout the U.S. Fleet buyers are especially interested as are American consumers who prefer trucks over cars.

Jon LeSage is a resident of Long Beach and a veteran business media reporter and editor. You can reach him at jtlesage1@yahoo.com.