--- title: "Breaking: Ford is Building a Self-Driving Car Factory in Michigan" description: "Ford is officially building a new self-driving car plant in Michigan aimed at its line-up of next-generation all-electric or hybrid vehicles." date: "2019-03-20" modified: "2019-03-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/ford-self-driving-car-factory-michigan" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" tags: - "autonomous car" - "ford" - "michigan" - "the digest" --- # Breaking: Ford is Building a Self-Driving Car Factory in Michigan ![Ford is officially building a new self-driving car plant in Michigan aimed at its line-up of next-generation all-electric or hybrid vehicles.]() *\Image: Ford\* ## Driverless in Michigan Ford is [officially building]() a new plant in Michigan aimed at its line-up of next-generation hybrid cars that could one day drive themselves. The news comes after Alphabet-owned Waymo [got approval]() to open an autonomous vehicle factory in the state in January — another sign that carmakers are refusing to let [gloomy public perception]() stop the march to self-driving vehicles. "This facility will be about more than just putting the brains into these autonomous vehicles," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president of global operations in [a statement](). "We will use the AV production center to upgrade the interiors and add the technology customers will want for a particular self-driving model." ## Priority Shift The news also comes after General Motors laid off [15 percent]() of its salaried workers and closed five entire auto plants — including one in Michigan — in the U.S. and Canada in November. Ford is planning to start working on its first-ever autonomous vehicle in 2021. ## Car Brains The plant is also part of Ford's massive [$11.1 billion investment]() in global electric vehicles. The move signifies Ford's commitment to the future of the electric car — and self-driving car technology. "We see more consumers interested in electric vehicles," said Hinrichs. "Plus the capabilities of the batteries and the technology is getting better." **READ MORE:** [Ford to build new factory in Michigan for autonomous vehicles]() \[*CNBC*\] **More on Michigan:** *[Waymo Gets Approval to Open Driverless Car Factory in Michigan]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()