Ford expands F-Series truck production, raising questions about EV commitment

Ford Motor Co. announced it will expand the production of its popular F-Series truck , with the production boost set to begin in 2026.

The expansion will see Ford invest $3 billion toward the production of its Super Duty pickups, with $2.3 billion going toward installing assembly operations at Ford’s Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada . The move to boost Super Duty assembly will secure around 1,800 jobs at the complex, 400 more than what would have been needed to produce Ford’s three-row electric vehicle.

"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 out flat, we can't meet the demand," Ford President and CEO Jim Farley said Thursday. "This move benefits our customers and supercharges our Ford Pro commercial business. At the same time, we look forward to introducing three-row electric utility vehicles, leveraging our experience in three-row utility vehicles and our learnings as America's No. 2 electric vehicle brand to deliver fantastic, profitable vehicles."

The expansion of Ford’s Super Duty production comes after a report earlier this year revealed the auto company lost $1.3 billion in its EV department during the first quarter of 2024, approximately $132,000 per vehicle sold. Predictions state the company will lose a total of $5 billion this year, up from the $4.7 billion it lost in its electric division.

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Other recent news has indicated that EVs as a whole still have some speed bumps to overcome to win over public support. One poll indicated that almost half of EV car owners in the United States want to go back to gas-powered vehicles. The biggest driver of this desire to ditch EVs stems from a lack of available charging areas, with 40% of respondents saying there are not enough chargers along highways and main roads.

In regard to charging areas, one Harvard University study found that 1 in 5 charging stations in the U.S. is considered faulty , making charging stations less reliable than gas stations. There are more than 64,000 public EV charging stations in the U.S., though experts argue this number needs to be much higher to transition consumers to EVs.