Oakville, Ontario – Ford has announced its intent to retool its SUV assembly plant in Oakville, Ont. starting next year, with electric vehicle (EV) assembly starting in late 2024.
This announcement follows a conference call on Tuesday, when company officials warned at this $1.8 billion overhaul would put most of the factory’s production workers on hold, but was necessary to fulfill its promises made to Unifor during its 2020 contract negotiations.
Specifically, this overhaul will introduce a new battery pack assembly line, said Dave Nowicki, director of EV manufacturing.
According to Driving.ca, Ford officials did not confirm or deny whether the plant would assemble five EV models, an agreement made with Unifor in 2020.
While battery cells will be sourced from a factory in Glendale, Kentucky, Nowicki says it is unclear whether batteries will meet the domestic content requirement to qualify for U.S. Inflation Reduction Act purchase subsidies.
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