Ford announced they will delay EV production at their Oakville Assembly Plant until 2027.
Last year, Ford announced that the Oakville Assembly Plant would go forward with a $1.8 billion investment to retool the facility. This investment would modernize and transform the facility to produce electric vehicles and battery packs.
Ford confirmed this week they are still planning to start work at the plant in Q2 2024. However, the original 2025 start of production timeline has not been pushed back a full two years.
Further, a Ford spokesperson confirmed that there will be some layoffs, but some employees will remain at the plant during the work. It is unclear how many employees will be let go, but Ford committed to working with Unifor to limit the impacts of layoffs on their workforce.
Unifor National President Lana Payne said this in response to the delay:
Unifor is extremely disappointed by the company’s decision. Our members have done nothing but build best-in-class vehicles for Ford Motor Company, and they deserve certainty in the company’s future production plans…
The move is unsurprising, as Ford is slowing down new EV production across North America. In addition to Oakville Assembly, Ford is also delaying the start of production at the Blue Oval City plant from late 2025 to sometime in 2026.
