(Oakville) Ford Motor Company says it plans to assemble its F-Series Super Duty pickup trucks at its Oakville, Ontario, plant starting in 2026, a move that comes amid delays in the start of planned electric vehicle production at the site.
The U.S. automaker said the move would increase capacity by up to 100,000 additional units and support 1,800 jobs at the plant that would be filled by workers represented by Unifor.
Ford announced plans last year to spend $1.8 billion to transform the plant into a hub for electric vehicle manufacturing, including vehicle and battery assembly.
But after planning to start producing electric vehicles at the plant in 2025, the company announced in April that it was pushing back the timeline to 2027 to give the consumer market more time to settle in and allow for further development of electric vehicle battery technology.
The company had said some employees were staying on site while the plant was being transformed, but there would be layoffs, and said it would work with Unifor to mitigate the impact of the delay on its workforce.
Moving production of Super Duty pickups to the Canadian plant means some employees will return to work a year earlier than planned, the company announced Thursday.
“Super Duty is a vital tool for businesses and individuals around the world, and even with our Kentucky truck and Ohio assembly plants operating at full capacity, we can’t keep up with demand,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said in a news release.
“Still, we look forward to introducing three-row electric utility vehicles, leveraging our experience in three-row utility vehicles and our knowledge as America’s second-largest electric vehicle brand to deliver fantastic, cost-effective vehicles.”
The 1,800 positions represent 400 more than would have been initially needed to produce the three-row electric vehicle after the plant’s overhaul, the company said.
Ford is spending about US$3 billion to expand Super Duty production in Canada, including US$2.3 billion to install integrated assembly and stamping operations at the Oakville plant.
The increased production also creates about 150 jobs at the company’s Windsor Engine Complex, which will make more V-8 engines for Super Duty trucks.
The move was welcomed by the union, which said the delay in production of electric vehicles was “too long, too disruptive and too damaging.”
“This new retooling program for the Oakville plant addresses the concerns of our union,” Unifor National President Lana Payne said in a news release.
Thanks to the collaboration of our locals and company management, we have reached an agreement that will allow our members to return to work more quickly, but will also protect their jobs for the future.
Unifor National President Lana Payne
Unifor said it expects an electrified version of the pickup truck to also be produced at the Oakville plant “later in the next decade.”
Ontario Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli also welcomed the announcement, saying in a statement that it “demonstrates the company’s continued confidence in the end-to-end automotive supply chain we have built in the province and in our world-class manufacturing talent.”
Ford’s spending plans for the Oakville plant were first announced in 2020 as part of union negotiations, with workers seeking long-term production commitments and the Detroit Three automakers ultimately agreeing to invest in the Canadian operations in concert with spending deals from the federal and Ontario governments.
The two governments have agreed to each provide $295 million to secure Ford’s investment.
Federal guidelines call for 20% of new vehicles sold in Canada to be zero-emission by 2026, at least 60% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.