Ford delays electric vehicle production in Oakville, focusing on high-demand Super Duty trucks instead
Ford Motor Co. has announced a delay in producing electric vehicles at its Oakville, Ont., plant and will instead begin producing F-Series Super Duty trucks in 2026, as reported by Financial Post.
Initially, Ford planned to retrofit the Oakville plant to produce electric SUVs starting in 2026, but this date was pushed to 2027.
Ford will now invest US$2.3bn in the plant, an increase from the initial US$1.8m commitment, and will keep the plant idle for two years instead of three. The new plan requires 1,800 workers, more than previously expected.
This marks the second delay in the plant’s electrified future, with Ford stating that the plant will produce electrified Super Duty trucks “later this decade.”
Said Deep, a Ford Canada spokesperson, explained that the switch aims to meet high demand for Super Duty trucks. “We’re maxed out (on) Super Duty production in the US,” he said, “so this is going to allow us to meet the customer demand.”
In 2020, the federal government and Ontario agreed to contribute $590m to help Ford retrofit the plant to produce EVs. Deep stated, “All I can tell you about that is we’re going to work closely with them in the coming weeks.”
The plant had been producing the Ford Edge, a crossover SUV, until production was idled in May. Workers have begun removing equipment to prepare for the plant’s new future. Production of electric three-row SUVs will be relocated to a different location, to be announced later.
“We still have the three-row electric (SUV) that we’ve developed,” Deep said. “We’re still excited about that and we’re going to have more plans about that later in the future. This was a good way to bring that plant back sooner and try to meet demand for a very high-in-demand product.”
Unifor, the labour union representing Ford’s workers in Oakville, welcomed the news.
Unifor national president Lana Payne said in a press release, “This new retooling plan for the Oakville plant addresses our union’s concerns with Ford Motor Company’s decision to delay new vehicle production for a period that was too long, too disruptive and too harmful to accept.”
She added that the agreement would protect Unifor members’ jobs “well into the future.”
