Ford's Oakville Assembly Complex (OAC) is getting a $1.8 billion technology facelift when it transforms into a high-volume hub of electric vehicle manufacturing in Canada, announced Ford Motor Company on April 11.
The campus, to be renamed Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex, begins retooling and modernizing in the second quarter of 2024 in preparation for next-generation EV production. Ford is the first full-line automotive manufacturer to announce its intention to produce passenger EVs in Canada for the North American market.
The investment allows Ford to repurpose and transform existing buildings into a state-of-the-art facility that leverages its skilled and experienced workforce. Ford is taking a diverse strategic approach to changing its industrial system to expand EV production: building new greenfield sites and transforming existing manufacturing sites like Oakville.
"I congratulate and thank Ford for their EV vision and faith in the future of Oakville, Ontario, and Canada for growing their business," commented Oakville Mayor Rob Burton.
"The announcement to reaffirm Ford Motor Company's $1.8 billion investment secured during 2020 bargaining is welcome news for the members of Local 707 and surrounding communities," stated Ford Council Vice-Chairperson and Unifor Local 707 OAC Plant Chairperson Marc Brennan.
"We now have a better understanding of the retooling period that will transition our facility into a state-of-the-art factory. We have a proud history of building quality vehicles in Oakville, and we are eager to see that continue by building next-generation electric vehicles."
"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 of 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."
The current 487-acre Oakville site includes three body shops, one paint building, and one assembly building. The transformed campus will feature a new 407,000-square-foot on-site battery plant utilizing cells and arrays from BlueOval SK Battery Park in Kentucky. Oakville workers will take these components and assemble battery packs that will then be installed in vehicles assembled on-site.
"Ford's transformation from gas to electric vehicles is well underway. Once complete, the Oakville Electric Vehicle Complex will secure thousands of well-paying jobs for our hard-working Canadian autoworkers and boost the competitiveness of Canada's auto sector. The partnership between Ford and Canada helps to position us as a global leader in the EV supply chain for decades to come," said Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development of Canada François-Philippe Champagne.
"Ford's investment in retooling its Oakville plant will support thousands of good paying jobs and is an important milestone in our plan to become a leader in the electric vehicle revolution," said Premier Doug Ford.
"Ford's investment to transform its Oakville facility to manufacture passenger electric vehicles will strengthen our end-to-end EV supply chain and help ensure that the vehicles of the future are built here in Ontario," added Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli.