Ford was an early EV mover among American automakers, announcing billions in planned investments and new facilities. More recently, The Blue Oval said it would pause some of those plans to bring more hybrid vehicles to market, responding to slower-than-expected EV demand growth. Now, Ford is stepping back from another planned investment in its Oakville, Ontario factory, which was slated to become an EV production hub.
The automaker said it would expand Super Duty truck production to the facility, nixing a $1.3 billion investment in the plant. The location was on deck to build two electric three-row SUVs starting in 2027, a delay from the originally announced 2025 deadline. Ford noted that it estimated an annual production volume of 100,000 trucks in Oakville and promised the move would add 1,800 jobs, 400 more positions than the facility would have gained with EV production.
Ford CEO Jim Farley said, “Super Duty is a vital tool for businesses and people around the world and, even with our Kentucky Truck Plant and Ohio Assembly Plant running flat out, we can’t meet the demand. This move benefits our customers and supercharges our Ford Pro commercial business. At the same time, we look forward to introducing three-row electric utility vehicles, leveraging our experience in three-row utility vehicles and our learnings as America’s number two electric vehicle brand to deliver fantastic, profitable vehicles.”
The change will see Ford dropping $3 billion at the Canadian plant to retool and install new equipment, and the additional jobs are a bright spot for the country’s Auto union. Even so, Farley said Ford would cut jobs from Oakville first if demand wavers, so it’s uncertain if the expansion will be a permanent one.
[Images: Ford]
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