Ford to Ramp Up F-150 and Super Duty Production in 2026

Ford Motor Company is gearing up to expand production of its popular F-150 and Super Duty pickup trucks in 2026, with a goal of building 50,000 more units to meet growing demand. To make that happen, the company is hiring around 1,000 new employees and reallocating resources across several U.S. plants.

With the average new-car price in America now above $50,000, the enduring success of Ford’s pickups makes perfect sense. The F-Series remains one of the best-selling vehicles in the country, starting at $42,620, though many buyers opt for high-end trims that can easily top $80,000.

The production increase comes after a slowdown this fall caused by supply chain issues. Ford says the expanded output will help offset losses tied to a September fire at the Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego, New York—an incident that cost the company an estimated $2 billion in quarterly losses. Novelis expects to be fully operational again by December, and CEO Jim Farley personally visited the site to assess the situation.

To balance output, Ford is temporarily reducing production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning, keeping it “on pause” for now. Workers from the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn are being reassigned to the neighboring plant that builds conventional pickups. Meanwhile, Ford is adding a third shift at the Dearborn facility and increasing staffing at its Louisville, Kentucky, plant, where the Super Duty lineup is produced.

Despite recent setbacks, Ford remains optimistic. The company expects to surpass half a million pickup sales next year—a strong rebound that underscores America’s unshakable appetite for full-size trucks.