Production demand for the Ford Coyote V8 engine powering the F-150 and Mustang is being slowed at the company’s Ontario, Canada factory.
An email from a Ford Canada spokesperson has revealed the Essex Engine Plant in Windsor, Ontario will cease one of three shifts producing Coyote 5.0-litre V8 engines, according to Automotive News Europe.
Ford Canada says the production change is “to better align with consumer demand” which will see employees given an “opportunity” to relocate onto the 7.3-litre Super Duty V8 production line, according to Ford Canada spokesman Matthew Drennan-Scace.
The 7.3-litre engine debuted in February in F-Series Super Duty pick-ups, and replaces the 6.8-liter V10 engine with more power and torque.
“All employees affected by the shift reduction will have the opportunity to move to Windsor Engine Plant Annex to support 7.3-litre engine production,” Drennan-Scace says.
Ford workers union Unifor Local 200 president John D’Agnolo says the F-Series range now offers a wide range of engines to replace the famous bent-eight which has reduced demand.
“We could see that sales of the 5.0-litre were dropping,” he says.
“We’ve had down shifts every week since January, and we have two down weeks in the summer, and two more down weeks scheduled in September,” D’Agnolo adds.
The F-Series can be had with 2.7-litre, 3.3-litre, 3.5-litre and 5.0-litre engines and a 2.0-litre diesel engine also found in the Transit van.
Ford added 1400 employees to the Ontario plant between 2014 and 2015.
