Ford Motor Co. reveals details behind $1.8B plan to build electric vehicles in Oakville

Oakville’s Ford Motor Co. released some of the details Monday (Aug. 14) behind its $1.8 billion dollar plan to turn the Oakville Assembly Complex into a high-volume hub of electric vehicle manufacturing in Canada.

The newly renamed Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex will begin to retool in the second quarter of 2024 and start producing electric vehicles in 2025.

Part of the transformation will also include a new 407,000 sq. on-site foot battery plant that will included parts from Ford’s operations in Kentucky.  These components will be assembled by Oakville workers into battery packs and then installed into vehicles at the local plant.

Ford is looking to reach a global production run of two million EVs annually by the end of 2026. The company says it will become the first full-line automaker to produce passenger EVs in Canada for the North American market.

“Canada and the Oakville complex will play a vital role in our Ford+ transformation,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, in a statement. “It will be a modern, super efficient, vertically integrated site for battery and vehicle assembly.

“I’m most excited for the world to see the incredible next-generation electric and fully digitally connected vehicles produced in Oakville.”

To expand EV production, Ford is building new Greenfield sites and also transforming existing manufacturing sites like in Oakville and Cologne, Germany.

“Ford’s commitment to invest in OAC retooling and upskilling signals a bright future for Canadian EV production and for Canadian auto sector employment,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “The transformation of the Oakville plant is an important step towards a stronger industry and testament to the hard work, skills and dedication of our Unifor Oakville Assembly Complex members.”

The current 487-acre Oakville site produces the Ford Edge and Lincoln Nautilus, but the automaker has yet to release what models it will build when the Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex opens.

“Ford of Canada has been a leader in the country’s auto industry since it was founded 119 years ago, driven by hard-working, dedicated employees,” said Bev Goodman, president and CEO, Ford of Canada. “As the top-selling auto brand in Canada for 14 straight years, the successful transition to EV production in Oakville will help deliver stable Canadian employment with the opportunity to build the new skills and expertise to drive Ford and the industry forward.”