Ford expands F-Series production and raises questions about commitment to electric vehicles

Ford announced that the company will expand production of its popular F-Series truck, with production ramp-up expected to begin in 2026.

As part of the expansion, Ford will invest $3 billion in production of its Super Duty pickups, with $2.3 billion going to establish assembly operations at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada. The move to increase Super Duty assembly will support about 1,800 jobs at the complex, 400 more than would have been needed to produce Ford’s three-row electric vehicle.

“Super Duty is an essential tool for businesses and people around the world, and even with our truck plants in Kentucky and Ohio running at full capacity, we cannot meet demand,” Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said Thursday. “This move benefits our customers and strengthens our Ford Pro commercial vehicle business. At the same time, we look forward to introducing three-row electric commercial vehicles. We are leveraging our experience with three-row commercial vehicles and what we have learned as America’s second-largest electric vehicle brand to deliver fantastic, profitable vehicles.”

The expansion of production of Ford’s Super Duty comes after a report earlier this year revealed that the automaker lost $1.3 billion in its electric vehicle division in the first quarter of 2024, about $132,000 per vehicle sold. Forecasts suggest the company will lose $5 billion overall this year, compared to the $4.7 billion it lost in its electric division.

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Other recent news has shown that electric vehicles overall still have some obstacles to overcome to gain public support. According to one survey, nearly half of electric car owners in the U.S. want to switch back to gasoline-powered vehicles. The biggest reason for this desire to abandon electric vehicles is the lack of available charging stations. 40% of respondents said there are not enough charging stations along highways and major roads.

When it comes to charging stations, a Harvard study found that one in five charging stations in the U.S. is considered faulty, making charging stations less reliable than gas stations. There are more than 64,000 public electric vehicle charging stations in the U.S., although experts argue that this number would need to be much higher to successfully convert consumers to electric vehicles.