AVON LAKE, Ohio — The Ford Motor Company announced Wednesday that it's taking a new approach to its electric vehicle future in response to changes in the market and is scrapping plans for a three-row all-electric SUV.
In its announcement, Ford doubled down on its commitment to its Ohio Assembly Plant that it announced in 2022 with a $1.5 billion investment in the 419-acre Lorain County plant — the automaker revealed that production of an all-electric commercial van will begin there in 2026.
Ford's investment into the sprawling Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake and Sheffield Village means creating 1,800 new hourly jobs.
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In 2027, Ford plans to introduce two new all-electric pickup trucks: a medium-sized pickup based on the platform designed by Ford's California Skunkworks Team and a next-generation truck to be assembled in Tennessee.
In Lorain County, construction continues on the project that will double Ford's workforce by adding 1,800 jobs. The news gives Sheffield Village a little more clarity as it plans for its future. However, the 2026 startup could impact negotiations with its unions, which are set for March.
"If they start building mid-2026, we don't know what kind of revenue that's going to bring in," said Sheffield Village Mayor Bob Markovich. "From that standpoint, it's unfortunate for us; it's unfortunate for our unions to give them the type of investment that we need to give them because we're still not going to be familiar with what we're going to generate from a revenue standpoint."
That's a problem, though, they'll gladly deal with. The village has already seen a bump in revenue because of the construction jobs, numbers that are expected to increase once the inside work begins fitting the plant. Ford told us that this announcement is a sign that while some elements of the electric vehicle market are sagging, the future of electric commercial vans that this plant will be producing remains strong. The mayor says they'll do whatever they can to help keep it that way.
While the extra 1,800 jobs will be nice, he knows that for every one Ford job, a dozen jobs are added in the broader community.
