Ford Motor Company said April 4 it is retiming the launch of upcoming electric vehicles at its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant while continuing to build out an advanced industrial system to produce its next-generation electric vehicles, including greenfield construction and conversion of existing assembly plants.

Preparations continue for the market launch of Ford’s all-new three-row electric vehicles at the assembly complex in Ontario, Canada which the company said it will re-time to 2027 from 2025. The additional time will allow for the consumer market for three-row EVs to further develop and enable Ford to take advantage of emerging battery technology, with the goal to provide customers increased durability and better value.

“We value our Canadian teammates and appreciate that this delay will have an impact on this excellent team,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “We are fully committed to manufacturing in Canada and believe this decision will help us build a profitably growing business for the long term.”

The company states it continues to invest in a broad set of EV programs as it works to build a full EV line-up. By the end of the decade, the company expects to offer hybrid powertrains across its entire Ford Blue lineup in North America. In the first quarter of 2024, Ford’s electric vehicle sales increased by 86% and hybrid sales rose 42% versus a year ago.

“As the No. 2 EV brand in the U.S. for the past two years, we are committed to scaling a profitable EV business, using capital wisely and bringing to market the right gas, hybrid and fully electric vehicles at the right time,” said Farley said. “Our breakthrough, next-generation EVs will be new from the ground up and fully software enabled, with ever-improving digital experiences and a multitude of potential services.”