As part of an announcement on new manufacturing facility investments, Ford says it will soon begin offering a 10-speed transmission option to F-150 customers.
The F-150 is currently offered with a six-speed transmission. This new 10-speed will be introduced with the 2017 F-150 Raptor, which is slated for release with a new SuperCrew model later this year.
Ford is investing $1.4 billion in the Livonia Transmission Plant in Michigan to build the new transmission, a move that will create or retain 500 hourly jobs, the company says.
The 10-speed will only be offered on certain F-150 models. Production will begin in June.
In February Ford announced that it was bringing a version of the 2017 Raptor’s EcoBoost V6 engine to the F-150. The addition of the 10-speed will likely be attractive to buyers who want an approximation of the Raptor’s power with the more traditional styling of the F-150 – and at a much lower price as well.
The company also announced a $200 million investment in its Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake. That plant will be used to build the upcoming 2017 Super Duty chassis cab trucks, also slated for release later this year.
The $1.6 billion investment is part of Ford’s $9 billion commitment made in the company’s collective bargaining agreement with UAW last year.