According to sources familiar with the matter, FoMoCo will add 1,200 jobs to its Chicago plant for the production of the next-generation Ford Explorer. An official announcement is expected early tomorrow morning.

The move will bring Explorer production from Louisville, Ky., to the underutilized Chicago plant. It will bring back a second shift to the plant that currently employs about 1,400 workers.

FoMoCo has been retrofitting the plant for months and is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to kick-off Explorer production.

The 2011 Ford Explorer will be based on the Explorer America Concept (pictured above) and is expected to maintain its sharp-edged shape to keep it uniform with the Flex and Edge crossovers. Expect Ford’s EcoBoost engines to be a part for the lineup.

- By: Kap Shah

Source: AutoWeek