Ford has revealed a new plan for its Oakville Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. Starting in 2026, the plant will begin producing Ford Super Duty pickup trucks. This decision marks a significant shift from previous plans, as Oakville was initially slated to produce electric vehicles (EVs). In April of last year, Ford had announced a major investment to transform Oakville into a hub for next-generation EVs, aiming to start production in 2025.
However, those plans have been put on hold indefinitely. A year after the initial announcement, Ford revealed that EV production in Oakville would not commence until 2027, leading to job losses. The company’s strategic change focuses on creating an affordable EV to compete with Tesla, priced around $25,000 to $30,000. Regardless of where this new EV will be manufactured, Oakville won’t remain inactive.
Instead, Oakville will gear up to produce Super Duty pickups, aligning with Ford’s commitment to trucks, both electric and traditional.
The plant will be retooled to manufacture up to 100,000 Super Duty trucks annually. To address potential concerns about this shift, Ford has announced plans to introduce “multi-energy technology” to the Super Duty line in the future. This term likely refers to electrified or hybrid powertrains, although Ford has been cautious in its language.
The introduction of multi-energy technology is framed as providing customers with “freedom of choice,” meaning that traditional internal combustion engine options will still be available. Ford also argues that this move will preserve more jobs than if the plant were solely focused on EV production—400 more jobs, to be precise. Moreover, workers who were laid off or furloughed are expected to return to work a year earlier than they would have under the original EV plan.
Despite these changes, Ford has hinted that its three-row EVs are still part of its future plans, though no updated timeline has been provided. In the meantime, the profitable and highly competitive Super Duty trucks will take center stage, ensuring that Oakville remains active while Ford continues to develop its EV strategy.