Ford makes £70m Welsh plant investment

The investment, which includes Welsh Assembly Government support of £13.4 million, will enable the production of next generation low CO2 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engines for the plant, at the plant where, this year, employment rose to over 2,000 for the first time in its 28-year history. The initiative increases the plant's production capability to almost 1,000,000 units a year. The new 1.6-litre engines will go into production within two years and will be among the first of a new generation of global petrol powertrains, known as EcoBoost, featuring turbocharging and direct injection technology. The engines will deliver improved fuel economy and emissions without compromising driving performance and provide an alternative route to hybrid or diesel efficiency. Compared with current larger displacement petrol engines of similar power, these new engines are expected to provide up to 20 per cent better fuel economy, 15 per cent lower CO2 emissions and superior driving performance. The last new engine added at Bridgend plant was a premium 3.2-litre power unit in 2006. Used by Volvo in its vehicles, the compact in-line six-cylinder engine (SI6) is assembled on a Bridgend line that also produces V8 units (pictured) and features flexible technology – enabling operators to switch between different products. John Fleming, Ford of Europe chairman and CEO, said: "We're pleased to be able to invest further in the Ford Bridgend facility. The Bridgend team will play an important role in delivering these new engines, which add an innovative ingredient to petrol engine technology and deliver a combination of low emissions and efficient performance that will be vital to meet future customer needs around the world."