Ford
will locate its autonomous vehicle
and electric vehicle business and
strategy teams, including Team
Edison, in a 45,000-square-foot
historic former factory in Detroit’s
Corktown neighborhood; the
relocation brings together Ford
teams that are creating new business
models in a resurgent, diverse
neighborhood with industrial roots.
(Photo by FoMoCo)
The
Corktown
location
holds
special
meaning
for
Executive
Chairman
Bill
Ford,
whose
ancestors
emigrated
from
County
Cork,
Ireland,
to the
Dearborn,
Michigan,
area
years
ago.
Corktown,
Detroit’s
oldest
neighborhood,
derives
its name
from
immigrants
from
County
Cork who
settled
there.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit)
Ford
returns
home to
Detroit;
bringing
self-driving
and
electric
vehicle
teams to
Corktown
•
Ford
will
locate
its
autonomous
vehicle
and
electric
vehicle
business
and
strategy
teams,
including
Team
Edison,
in a
45,000-square-foot
historic
former
factory
in
Detroit’s
Corktown
neighborhood;
the
relocation
brings
together
Ford
teams
that are
creating
new
business
models
in a
resurgent,
diverse
neighborhood
with
industrial
roots
•
Ford’s
ambitious
push
into
autonomous
and
electric
vehicles
and
services
reflects
the
company’s
aspiration
to
become
the most
trusted
mobility
company,
designing
smart
vehicles
for a
smart
world;
relocation
decision
is
aligned
with
Ford’s
mission
to
improve
the
entire
transportation
system,
along
with
people’s
overall
quality
of life
•
Corktown
location
will be
up and
running
early
next
year,
allowing
autonomous
vehicle
and
electric
vehicle
teams
numbering
more
than 200
people
to
immerse
themselves
in the
mobility
challenges
and
solutions
in an
urban
setting;
watching
and
learning
how
mobility
solutions
positively
impact
the
community
will
drive
Ford’s
developments
DETROIT,
MI –
Ford
Motor
Company
today
reveals
plans to
move its
key
autonomous
vehicle
and
electric
vehicle
business
and
strategy
teams to
the city
where
the
company
got its
start.
Ford
is
moving
the
teams to
a
historic
building
known as
The
Factory
– a
recently
refurbished
industrial
complex
with a
rich
110-year
history
– in
Detroit’s
Corktown
neighborhood.
The
Motor
City
location,
which
will be
up and
running
early
next
year,
will
enable
Ford
teams to
immerse
themselves
in urban
mobility
challenges
and
solutions.
“We’re
excited
to
choose
this
inspirational
location
in one
of
Detroit’s
resurgent
neighborhoods
to
accelerate
our work
on
electric
and
autonomous
vehicles,”
said Jim
Hackett,
Ford
president
and CEO.
“This
move and
our
exciting
Dearborn
campus
transformation
are
important
steps as
we move
toward
our
aspiration
to
become
the
world’s
most
trusted
mobility
company
–
designing
smart
vehicles
for a
smart
world.”
The
Corktown
location
holds
special
meaning
for
Executive
Chairman
Bill
Ford,
whose
ancestors
emigrated
from
County
Cork,
Ireland,
to the
Dearborn,
Michigan,
area
years
ago.
Corktown,
Detroit’s
oldest
neighborhood,
derives
its name
from
immigrants
from
County
Cork who
settled
there.
“Returning
to
Detroit
is
particularly
meaningful,
because
it is
where my
great-grandfather
originally
set out
to
pursue
his
passion
and
where we
have
always
called
our
home,”
said
Ford.
“We are
planting
a
special
piece of
our
company’s
future
in one
of the
city’s
great
neighborhoods,
because
we
believe
in
Detroit,
its
people
and what
we can
build
together.”
The
move is
more
than a
relocation
– it’s a
strategic
decision
aligned
with a
mission.
The
company
is
committed
to
helping
improve
the
entire
system
of
transporting
people
and
goods,
especially
in
cities
facing
major
challenges
such as
congestion,
pollution,
accidents
and
other
transportation
issues
that
affect
everything
from
productivity
to
quality
of life.
The
Corktown
relocation
means
employees
will be
working
in the
heart of
these
challenges,
experiencing
life
firsthand
in one
of the
nation’s
burgeoning
urban
neighborhoods.
More
than 220
employees
will be
working
at the
new
location.
Recognizing
the
past,
embracing
the
future
The move
to
Detroit
is both
a nod
toward
the past
and a
bold
look
forward.
It
allows
Ford to
reaffirm
its
commitment
to a
city
where
its
journey
first
began.
“Having
these
teams
together
in a
dedicated
facility
in the
heart of
Detroit
is truly
a
full-circle
moment
for
Ford,”
said Jim
Farley,
Ford
executive
vice
president
and
president,
global
markets.
“It’s
such a
conducive
environment
for
sharing
ideas,
for
collaboration,
and for
accelerating
our
electric
vehicle
efforts.
We have
such a
great
team,
and
we’ll be
hearing
more
from
them in
the
coming
months.”
Autonomous,
electric
and
beyond
The team
in
Corktown
will be
led by
Sherif
Marakby,
Ford
vice
president
of
autonomous
vehicles
and
electrification.
Marakby
is a
Ford
veteran
who
first
joined
the
company
in 1990,
leaving
briefly
for a
stint in
Silicon
Valley.
Ford
is
focused
on
driving
its
electric
vehicle
business
forward,
both
with
hybrid
vehicles
and full
battery-electric
vehicles
with
research
led by
Ford’s
Team
Edison.
The team
is
working
to
accelerate
both the
development
and
adoption
of
electric
vehicles.
Team
Edison
also is
focused
on
fostering
partnerships
with
other
companies
to
deliver
smart
solutions,
following
Ford’s
global
lead.
Ford
recently
created
an
electric
vehicle
partnership
with
Zotye,
creating
Zotye
Ford
Automobile
Co., a
50-50
joint
venture
that
will
offer a
range of
stylish
and
affordable
electric
vehicles
for
consumers
in
China.
Ford
already
has a
variety
of
active
partnerships
related
to the
future
of
mobility.
With
Ford’s
$1
billion
investment
in Argo
AI, the
company
is
advancing
autonomous
vehicle
development
by
combining
its
autonomous
vehicle
expertise
with
Argo
AI’s
robotics
experience
and
startup
speed on
artificial
intelligence
software.
Ford’s
autonomous
vehicle
business
is built
around
deploying
self-driving
vehicles
in
partnership
with
leading
companies
that
serve
the
movement
of both
people
and
goods.
Working
with
these
partners,
such as
Lyft and
Domino’s
Pizza,
Ford is
conducting
research
and
building
out the
infrastructure
that
will
help in
determining
the
design
of the
self-driving
vehicle
and the
customer
experience
it will
enable.
Planned
for
production
beginning
in 2021,
Ford’s
first
autonomous
vehicle
is an
all-new
hybrid-electric
vehicle
with
self-driving
capability.
It will
be
optimized
to meet
the
needs of
Ford’s
partners
to
enhance
and grow
their
business
operations
– and
to
deliver
the best
experience
for the
people
they
serve.
Key
factors
in
design
and
performance
are:
•
Commercial-grade
quality
for
lower
cost of
ownership
and
improved
durability
to
operate
in tough
urban
environments
•
Hybrid-electric
powertrain
to help
reduce
emissions
and
achieve
maximum
mileage
to keep
the
self-driving
vehicle
on the
road
longer
•
Purposely
designed
for
ride-hailing
and
delivery
customer
needs
•
Dependable
from the
outset,
integrated
for
safety
by the
teams
that are
engineering,
testing
and
ultimately
building
Ford’s
self-driving
vehicles
Building
with a
storied
history
Located
at 1907
Michigan
Avenue,
the
brick
building
complex
that
will
house
Ford’s
autonomous
and
electric
vehicle
teams
was
constructed
in 1907,
the year
planning
began on
the Ford
Model T
at the
nearby
Piquette
Avenue
plant.
The
45,000-square-foot
building
also has
been
home to
the
Chicago
Hosiery
and
Detroit-Alaska
Knitting
Mills
factories.
It sits
across
from the
site of
historic
Tiger
Stadium.
Most
recently,
The
Factory
has
served
as
headquarters
for Buhl
Sport
Detroit
and
Brothers
Tuning
Detroit,
and has
undergone
extensive
renovations.
The
Factory
will
continue
to be
the
headquarters
for both
companies,
which
will be
Ford
Land
tenants.
With
its high
ceilings,
exposed
brick,
hardwood
floors
and
9,000-square-foot
garage,
the
space
will
afford
employees
both the
collaborative
openness
of a
modern
workspace
and the
industrial
authenticity
of a
turn-of-the-century
manufacturing
facility.