Last year Ford started to sell a new generation of its mid-sized crossover SUV Ford Edge making the first major update since 2006 when the production started. The assembly remains in Canada.
Oakville Assembly Complex
The Ford Edge is assembled at Oakville Assembly Complex in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. The first car plant on this site opened in 1953 and produced nearly all of the vehicles for Ford in Canada until 1966. It is Canada’s last remaining Ford automotive assembly plant still in operation.
Oakville Assembly Complex has been recognized for its environmental efforts. The plant is the first North American assembly plant to go zero waste-to-landfill and has recently upgraded to LED lighting across the plant, replacing 7,000 lights and saving an estimated 15 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year.
Oakville Assembly Complex also produces the Ford Flex and the Lincoln MKT. The facility has approximately 4,500 employees working a partial three shift schedule.
Some of the former models produced at the plant included:
- Ford Custom 500 (1973-1981)
- Ford LTD (1975-1982)
- Mercury Lynx (1981-1987)
- Ford Escort (1981-1990)
- Ford Tempo (1984-1994)
- Mercury Topaz (1984-1994)
- Ford Windstar (1995-2003)
- Ford Freestar (2004-2007)
- Mercury Monterey (2004-2007)
The Assembly of 2015 Ford Edge © Ford Motor Company
Ford’s $700 Million Investment
With the presentation of second-generation Ford Edge in 2015, Ford Motor Company invested $700 million in the modernization of Oakville Assembly Complex and added 400 new employees to supplement the 1,000 that were added two years ago.
Oakville Assembly Complex has undergone a massive transformation to include new technology, new processes, and new training. More than 250 new robots were added, including new software and vision systems that improve efficiency, precision and quality. In addition, approximately 1,000 robots have been upgraded. These robots have been installed to work to the most demanding levels of precision and accuracy – with duties to ensure repeatable and high-quality assembly.
The enhancements at Oakville Assembly Complex enabled Ford to shift production more quickly and efficiently to meet increasing consumer demand. Worldwide demand for utility vehicles is up 88 percent since 2008 and utilities now account for 19 percent of the global automotive market, with the segment expanding more than three times the rate of the vehicle industry overall.
2015 Ford Edge © Ford Motor Company
2016 Ford Edge
The 2016 Ford Edge is available in four daring models: SE, SEL, Titanium, and Sport. Starting MSRP for SE is $28,700, for SEL – $31,790, for Titanium – $35,600, and for Sport – $40,400.
This year’s model has received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Since 2015, Ford Edge is also marketed in Europe as part of the company’s “One Ford” ideology. All Edges, including European versions, are assembled at Oakville Assembly Complex.
