Speaking at the Wolfe Research Auto Summit, CFO Sherry House delivered an update on Ford’s game plan to build deeper into its most profitable trucks this year, and use that strength to bridge into a new wave of lower-priced vehicles starting in 2027.
But first, let’s rewind: In late 2025, a fire at key aluminum supplier Novelis disrupted F-150 production and forced Ford to lower its full-year profit outlook.
The company said it would lose roughly 100,000 units as a result and announced plans to add an extra shift at Dearborn Truck Plant, where the F-150 is built, along with production adjustments at other truck facilities to recover a portion of that volume.
Today, House reiterated that the additional shift at Dearborn remains in place and is paired with higher line speeds at Kentucky Truck Plant, which builds Super Duty.
What they’re saying: “What we are doing with that extra shift in Dearborn, in the ability to increase the line speed in the Kentucky Truck plant, is we are setting ourselves up both for opportunity, but also to mitigate risk going forward,” House said.
She also pointed to Oakville Assembly in Canada, which is being retooled to produce Super Duty, adding another layer of capacity to the system.
Oakville, she said, will provide “more capacity, more ability to mitigate the downside and lean into the upside.”
Sherry House
Why all of that matters: Dearborn builds the F-150. Kentucky (and soon Oakville) build Super Duty.
Those are Ford’s highest-margin vehicles.
And in a market where full-size pickups continue to carry strong average transaction prices, and where higher trims like Raptor and Tremor drive mix, adding structural truck capacity just emphasizes Ford’s confidence in that demand.
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Still, there’s a balance: House emphasized that Ford’s longer-term growth plan hinges on affordability.
That begins in 2027 with the launch of a four-door midsize pickup on Ford’s Universal EV (UEV) platform.
But it only expands from there.
“We are planning, by the end of the decade, to have five new vehicles, starting with the UEV… that would be under $40,000.”
She added, “Today, we have two products that are slightly greater than $30,000, so you've got our Bronco Sport, you have our Maverick, but then we're looking at the UEV in 2027 and then some other products thereafter.”
Digging deeper: House noted that, as Ford carries out these initiatives, their powertrain strategy won’t (and shouldn’t be) one-size-fits-all.
“We believe that for the larger vehicles, they are better suited to having hybrid technology in them, or perhaps IREV,” she said, adding, “When you're in the smaller vehicles, that's where you really benefit from the full BEV.”
Bottom line: Ford just spent a year navigating a supplier fire, shifting tariff policies, and uneven production schedules.
But now, it seems like the brand is confident it can use 2026 to recover lost truck volume, reinforce its highest-margin nameplates, and stabilize output, all while eyeing a 2027 launch cycle built around more affordable models.
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