DETROIT, July 18 (Reuters) - Ford Motor ( F ) on

Thursday outlined plans to use a Canadian plant it had earmarked

for a future electric vehicle to instead build larger,

gasoline-powered versions of its flagship F-Series pickup truck.

Ford in April had already delayed the launch of the planned

three-row electric SUVs at its Oakville Assembly facility from

2025 to 2027, citing slower than expected growth in EV demand.

It said on Thursday it remained committed to those EVs and that

timeline but did not say where they would now be built.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker plans to add capacity

for 100,000 F-Series Super Duty trucks at the facility,

including the ability to use what the company called "future

multi-energy technology."

"Super Duty is a vital tool for businesses and people around

the world and, even with our Kentucky Truck Plant and Ohio

Assembly Plant running flat out, we can't meet the demand," Ford

CEO Jim Farley said in a statement. "At the same time, we look

forward to introducing three-row electric utility vehicles."

Ford has increasingly leaned into production of hybrid

vehicles to win over consumers who aren't ready to go fully

electric. The automaker aims to quadruple hybrid production over

the next few years.

These lucrative F-150 heavy-duty trucks, which are

especially popular for the automaker's commercial business, are

also produced at assembly plants in Kentucky and Ohio.

The company plans to invest about $3 billion to expand Super

Duty production, including $2.3 billion to install assembly and

integrated stamping operations at the Oakville Assembly Complex.