Report: Lincoln Nautilus Production Ending July 2024
Photo: Lincoln
It’s starting to look like the end is extremely nigh for the Lincoln Nautilus.
Ford Authority reported on Wednesday that it has learned production will be ending on the Lincoln Nautilus in July 2024. This follows a report from AutoForecast Solutions Vice President Sam Fiorani in June in which multiple sources said that the Nautilus and Ford Edge are both on the chopping block after 2023.
The Lincoln Nautilus and Ford Edge are built at the Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, which employs around 4,200 workers.
Earlier this month, Ford Motor Company of Canada and Unifor opened negotiations on a new labor deal. The current deal between the automaker and the union is set to expire on Sept. 21. Unifor President Jerry Dias says that the union is fighting for a new production mandate to secure the future of the complex and its employees.
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Lincoln Nautilus production could move to China
Both reports suggest that whatever ultimately happens between Ford and Unifor, the Nautilus and Edge may not survive for long thereafter. Ford Authority posits that production of the Lincoln Nautilus ending in Canada could result in a move to China in 2023. That would by no means ensure that the Nautilus would continue to be offered in North America. Ford builds the Edge, which shares platforms with the Nautilus, at its Changan Hangzhou Plant.
A successful deal between Ford and Unifor could result in an altogether new replacement for the Nautilus. Fiorani told Ford Authority that there could be a play in place to retool Oakville to produce electric vehicles while noting that “it’s a long shot.” Lincoln has confirmed that it is still moving ahead on its own, clean-sheet electric vehicle despite canceling plans to use the Rivian skateboard platform.
Though July 2024 is some time away, Unifor and Ford plan to wrap negotiations around Sept. 8. The fallout from that should provide some clarity as to the fate of the fairly new Nautilus.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.