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Ford is opening a third North American assembly plant for its Super Duty trucks in Ontario, Canada.
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Ford says the plant could increase capacity of the F-Series Super Duty by 100,000 units and support future multi-energy technology.
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Ford is also creating jobs at its Windsor engine plant to build even more V8 engines.
If you thought Ford wasn’t building enough F-Series Super Duty TrucksFord would agree with you. The company is expanding its North American operations, setting up Super Duty assembly at its Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, Canada.
Additionally, Ford says this new assembly point could support “future multi-energy technology.” Ford currently only offers traditional powertrain options for its Super Duty pickup line.
If you jump into an F-250 and above, you have two gasoline engines that share an architecture, or you can step up to the 6.7-liter PowerStroke diesel burner. Sure, there are two different output options for the diesel PowerStroke, but it’s still fundamentally the same engine.
Looking at its smaller lightweight stablemate, the Ford F-150, it offers traditional gasoline engine options, a hybrid PowerBoost alternative, and the battery-electric Ford F-150 Lightning.
Ford’s comments about future multi-energy technology could point to some of the concepts Ford has already applied to its F-150 powertrains that could be implemented across the Super Duty lineup in the near future.
Ford is also expanding the labor pool at its engine plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and plans to hire 150 workers to meet needed engine demand. That production increase will bolster current V8 offerings for the Super Duty lineup.
Notably, this Super Duty expansion comes at the expense of the planned three-row electric crossover, which was originally set to come out of the Oakville plant.
Ford CEO Jim Farley said: “…we look forward to introducing three-row electric commercial vehicles, leveraging our three-row commercial vehicle experience and our knowledge as America’s No. 2 electric vehicle brand to deliver great, profitable vehicles.”
With all that in mind, don’t be surprised if Ford brings a Ford hybrid or battery-electric Super Duty to market in the coming years. If you’re a gambler, your best bet would be to invest in a hybrid powertrain under Ford’s workhorse.
Do you think a multi-energy Super Duty makes sense? Let us know what you think below.
