Ford to reopen Cleveland engine plant

BROOK PARK, Ohio -- The plant in suburban Cleveland, idled since 2007, was chosen to make the 3.5-liter, V-6 EcoBoost engines that will be standard on the Ford Taurus SHO and optional on the Lincoln MKS and MKT, and Ford Flex cars.

EcoBoost engines combine direct injection technology and turbo-charging for improved fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. Ford says it can achieve up to 20% better fuel efficiency and 15% lower CO2 emissions, compared with larger displacement engines, without sacrificing power.

Pressured by Washington and last year's spike in gasoline prices, the troubled auto industry has accelerated what was a gradual push toward smaller and more fuel-efficient cars.

Gary Johnson, Ford's director of manufacturing, estimated the new EcoBoost engine would get up to 26 miles per gallon on the highway and 18 to 20 miles per gallon in city driving.

The program is designed to be a first step toward eventually using the technology in four-cylinder engines, he said.

Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1, which was Ford's first engine plant in Ohio when it opened in 1951, had more than 500 employees when it was shut down in May 2007. It was retooled to make 3.5-liter engines, but production wasn't immediately needed, and the opening date was pushed back at least twice.

Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford said Friday it initially will use about 250 workers from its three other plants at the Cleveland-area site.

Mike Gammella, president of the United Auto Workers Local 1250, said the union hopes the new EcoBoost engine will lead to more jobs.

"It's really a good thing," he said. "Whenever you can bring a new product in, especially a product of this magnitude, it's sensational news, especially in this economy."