Ford announced Thursday it would invest $3 billion to expand production of its "Super Duty" pickup trucks at a Canadian factory, at which it has previously pushed back plans for electric vehicles.
The announcement gives the US carmarker a third manufacturing center in North America from which to produce the giant pickup trucks, which have been a major profit driver in recent years.
Under the plan, the Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario will manufacture up to 100,000 more units of the vehicles, with production commencing in 2026.
Ford plants that produce the trucks in Kentucky and Ohio are operating at "full capacity," Ford said.
The vehicles are often used by emergency response officials, as well as in the mining, utility and construction industries.
Oakville had previously been slated to produce EVs, but in April Ford announced it plans to push back a new three-row electric vehicle from 2025 to 2027, part of a wave of announcements by automakers delaying EV investments because of slower than expected growth in the American market.
Ford, which has emphasized investments in hybrid vehicles, said the Oakville plant when finished will be a "fully flexible plant," implying it could produce EVs down the road.
The company also said it "remains committed to developing a growing and profitable electric vehicle business, including three-row electric utility vehicles."
Ford did not immediately respond to an AFP query about the 2027 EV timeframe.
"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," said Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley. "This move benefits our customers and supercharges our Ford Pro commercial business."
