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2015 Ford F-150 begins rolling off line at second factory

Ford needs more F-150s. Yeah, we just told you that a few days ago. The Blue Oval is reporting that its trucks are spending a mere 18 days on dealer lots, following a January that was the truck's best month in over a decade. Considering both of those facts, the timing is perfect for Ford to ramp up production of its all-aluminum truck by bringing its Kansas City, MO factory online. KC Assembly has been building F-150s for decades, and completed a $1.1-billion expansion to accommodate the all-aluminum 2015 truck (as well as for work on the Transit van). Similar to what was done at Ford's Dearborn, MI factory, the Blue Oval spent 13 weeks upgrading the plant's body shop, paint shop and a road-test course. Over 900 jobs were added as part of the update. Combined with the equally upgraded plant in metro Detroit, Ford can build 700,000 trucks per year. "The all-new F-150 has surpassed our expectations – setting new standards for fullsize truck capability, technology and efficiency," Joe Hinrichs, Ford's Americas president said in a statement. "With production starting at Kansas City Assembly, we are better poised to start meeting growing customer demand for our pickup." Scroll down for the official press blast from the Blue Oval. Related Video: KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT COMES ON LINE AS SECOND U.S. FACTORY BUILDING ALL-NEW FORD F-150 2015 Ford F-150 starts production at Kansas City Assembly Plant; along with three shifts in operation at Dearborn Truck Plant, Ford is now producing even more units of the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever All-new F-150 is turning more than four times faster than the overall full-size pickup truck segment; In addition to producing all F-150 models and cab configurations, Kansas City exclusively builds specialty F-150s with 8-foot cargo boxes and heavy payload packages to meet the needs of commercial fleet customers Kansas City Assembly Plant facilities transformed with the latest in manufacturing technology to build the first mass-produced truck in its class featuring a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body and bed CLAYCOMO, Mo., March 13, 2015 – Ford today marks the official start of production of the all-new 2015 F-150 at Kansas City Assembly Plant, which joins Dearborn Truck Plant in building the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever. This means Ford has expanded production of the first mass-produced light-duty pickup truck with a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body.

Ford updates Power Stroke diesel V8, strengthens F-450, tweaks King Ranch

Ford is giving its F-Series Super Duty trucks some upgrades for 2015, and we're happy to say that one of them is an improved Power Stroke diesel V8. Also, Ford is strengthening the top-of-the-line F-450 to handle more abuse. And if wild west-style luxury is your thing, the automaker has performed minor cosmetic updates to its King Ranch Edition trucks, as well.
The turbocharged 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 is currently rated at 400 horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque, and Ford only tells us the new and improved Power Stroke can "produce power beyond today's" engine. What, then, did Ford actually improve upon? First, the Blue Oval swapped in a new, larger turbocharger. The new Garrett GT37 turbine unit is 72.5 millimeters in diameter, eclipsing the old GT32's 64-mm diameter piece. Ford states output increases with the new turbo setup, but since the new turbocharger operates at a lower peak pressure than the old one, the automaker was able to eliminate the wastegate system and reduce the engine's complexity. Ford even redesigned the turbo's oil and cooling lines to make the powerplant simpler. A byproduct of the larger turbo is better engine exhaust braking, which is controlled manually by a button on the dashboard.
Ford claims the upgraded diesel engine is more powerful, more robust, more efficient and more refined than before.

Ford F-250 boots Cadillac Escalade from atop thieves' most-wanted list

The Ford F-Series has been America's best-selling truck for decades, but along with the good comes the bad, apparently. In addition to being popular with consumers, the Highway Loss Data Institute notes that the F-Series Super Duty has risen in popularity among thieves. Based on its new study, the four-wheel drive crew cab F-250 Super Duty has topped the list for the country's highest rate of insurance theft claims, knocking the Cadillac Escalade from the top spot - a distinction the luxury SUV has held since this annual report was first established in 2003.
To reach its findings, HLDI looks at theft data from the previous three model years (in this case 2010-2012) to determine the frequency of claims for a particular make and mode,l as well as the average payment per claim. As the report points out, the claims aren't always for the theft of the entire vehicle - they can include components (say, wheels and tires) or property taken from the vehicle. At seven claims per 1,000 insured vehicles, the F-250 is six times more likely to suffer a theft claim than the average vehicle.
The Cadillac likely dropped from the top of the list to sixth due to additional theft-prevention features including a steering wheel lock and inclination sensor for the alarm, but GM's other fullsize trucks and SUVs still occupy eight of the list's 10 spots. Some of the least stolen vehicles with below-average loss payments include the Lexus HS250h, Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V and Dodge Journey. Head on over to the HLDI's website for the full list that shows the most and least popular vehicles among thieves from 2010 through 2012.