The Ford Super Duty production will expand to an Oakville, Canada plant that was earmarked for an undisclosed three-row EV SUV. This move will mean an additional 100,000 trucks will be built, 400 more jobs than the EV plant would have provided and billions in investment.
Ford Super Duty production
This news comes from a Ford Motor Company press release touting the investment as a way to meet growing consumer demand especially for the Ford Pro commercial side of the business.
The plan is to invest $3 billion into the Oakville plant, the EV plans called for a $1.3 billion investment.
This will create 1,800 jobs, 400 more jobs than the EV plans called for, and is a real shot in the arm for Unifor, the Canadian auto workers labor union.
Unifor-represented employees at Oakville Assembly Complex will return to work in 2026, a full year earlier than previously planned, according to the press release.
Ford said the next generation of the Super Duty will include “multi-energy technology,” however, Ford officials declined to elaborate to AutoNews.
“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,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “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 No. 2 electric vehicle brand to deliver fantastic, profitable vehicles.”
Ford didn’t elaborate on where a new three-row EV SUV will be built. An Autonews.com story pointed out, “At different points in their product plan, Ford intended to build the crossovers in Michigan, Ohio, Mexico and, most recently, Canada. The company originally planned to begin output in 2023.”
Electrified Super Duty?
One of the interesting pieces of this is the idea of an electrified Super Duty whether that be a hybrid or a full battery electric EV.
Unifor spilled even more beans on this news with a press release on their website:
“Under the new plan, Ford Motor Company will begin installation of tooling and equipment for Super Duty production and an integrated stamping facility at the Oakville Assembly Complex this summer. Production of the current generation Super Duty is forecasted to begin in 2026. Later in the decade, Oakville will begin producing the next-generation Super Duty, including an electrified version of the pickup. Oakville will be the sole initial source of multi-energy Super Duty production.”
Many people will read this as a BEV Super Duty, however, electrified can mean many different things. Plus, Ford CEO Jim Farley, brushed aside the idea of an electric-only Super Duty at an event I attended in Kentucky for the launch of the Ford Super Duty production.
This leads much of the speculation to a hybrid setup similar to the F-150 Powerboost with its 7.2kW power-on-board system ideal for tradesman or boondock camping.
Other Ford production news
Besides the Oakville, Canada news, Ford also said it will add more jobs and overtime at other plants:
- Approximately 150 jobs at Windsor Engine Complex, which will manufacture more V-8 engines for Super Duty.
- Sharonville Transmission Plant in Ohio – $24 million investment and additional overtime
- Rawsonville Components Plant in Michigan – $1 million investment and roughly 20 new jobs
- Sterling Axle Plant in Michigan – approximately 50 new jobs
