Published August 15, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Ford announced today it is adding new electrifying jobs.
The goal of this hiring spree is to double its battery-testing capabilities and speed time to bring electrified vehicles to market by at least 25 percent.
Ford’s battery-testing capabilities will double by 2013 – to a total of 160 individual battery-test channels. This includes investing in more of the highly specialized machines that can test and simulate everything from power and performance to life and thermal behavior over a complete range of temperatures and possible operating conditions.
Also, Ford is dedicating a 285,000-square-foot research and development lab in Dearborn, Mich., to focus almost entirely on hybrids and electrification. The building formerly known as the Advanced Engineering Center is renamed the Ford Advanced Electrification Center and houses most of the 1,000 engineers working on hybrid and electrification programs.
Ford continues to build its electrified team with 60 engineers hired in the past year and dozens more positions to be filled this year.
“The good news for customers is that they not only have more choice, but they have faster access to Ford’s latest and greatest in fuel-saving technologies and vehicles,” said Joe Bakaj, Ford vice president of Powertrain Engineering. “This stems directly from our decisions to deliver true power of choice by expanding our dedicated electrified vehicle team and further investing in our facilities.”
Most of the new jobs created will be located at the Ford Advanced Electrification Center, formerly the Advanced Engineering Center, located within the company’s Henry and Edsel Ford Research & Engineering Center. This 500-acre technical complex in Dearborn opened in 1953 and serves as the home for research and engineering efforts.
This manpower investment is on top of the $135 million Ford invested in the design, engineering and production of key components – including advanced battery systems – for its next-generation hybrid-electric vehicles going into production this year.
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