Ford is changing plans to build electric vehicles (EVs) at a massive factory and instead build gasoline-powered heavy-duty pickup trucks there, Reuters reported on Thursday. [emphasis, links added]
According to Reuters, the company originally planned to produce the three-row electric SUV at its Oakville, Canada, plant between 2025 and 2027, but the plant will now increase production capacity to produce 100,000 F-Series Super Duty trucks.
Ford said it remains committed to producing the electric vehicles on time, but it's unclear which of its factories will be responsible for production.
Ford will lose more than $4.5 billion on its electric vehicle product line in 2023, and the U.S. auto giant expects losses to exceed $5 billion this yearReuters reports.
The company has previously stated It will launch the next generation of electric vehicles “only if they can make a profit.”
“This has nothing to do with electric vehicles,” a Ford spokesman told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“This is about getting more Super Trucks to more customers faster. Even as plants in Kentucky and Ohio have Super Duty running at full capacity, The wait for the industry's most popular work truck is too long, both for customers and Ford.“
“In progress, After recently halting production of the vehicles our colleagues in Oakville were used to build, we will get them back to work as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.
“The timing of the three-row electric SUV planned to be built in Oakville has not changed, just where it will be built. Oakville will also build an electric Super Duty vehicle that will be launched with the next version of the vehicle.“
According to Reuters, the super truck that Ford will build at its Oakville plant will be able to use what the company calls “future multi-energy technology.”
“Super Duty is an important tool for businesses and people around the worldeven as our Kentucky truck plant and Ohio assembly plant are operating at full capacity, We can't keep up with demand,Ford CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. “At the same time, we look forward to launching a three-row electric utility vehicle.”
According to Reuters, growth in demand for electric vehicles has slowed globally, prompting companies such as Tesla and Chinese giant BYD to slash prices to stimulate demand.
at the same time, Legacy manufacturers such as Ford and General Motors are backing away from ambitious EV production goals.
Read the break from The Daily Caller
