Ford Motor Co. announced plans for an $11.4 billion investment in two new massive facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky that will produce the next generation of its electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles.
The Sept. 28 press release said the move is "the largest ever U.S. investment in electric vehicles at one time by any automotive manufacturer," and that together with its partner, SK Innovation it will create nearly 11,000 new jobs at the Tennessee and Kentucky mega-sites near Louisville, KY, and Memphis, TN.
"An all-new $5.6 billion mega campus in Stanton, TN, called Blue Oval City, will create approximately 6,000 new jobs and reimagine how vehicles and batteries are manufactured. Blue Oval City will become a vertically integrated ecosystem for Ford to assemble an expanded lineup of electric F-Series vehicles and will include a BlueOvalSK battery plant, key suppliers and recycling," the press release said. "Ford’s new Tennessee assembly plant is designed to be carbon neutral with zero waste to landfill once fully operational."
In Glendale, KY, approximately 56 miles south of Louisville, Ford plans to build a dedicated battery manufacturing complex with SK Innovation – the $5.8 billion BlueOvalSK Battery Park – creating 5,000 jobs. The release said twin battery plants on the site are intended to supply Ford’s North American assembly plants with locally assembled batteries for powering next-generation electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Investments in the new Tennessee and Kentucky battery plants are planned to be made via BlueOvalSK, a new joint venture to be formed by Ford and SK Innovation, subject to definitive agreements, regulatory approvals and other conditions.
“This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead America’s transition to electric vehicles and usher in a new era of clean, carbon-neutral manufacturing,” said Ford Executive Chair Bill Ford. “With this investment and a spirit of innovation, we can achieve goals once thought mutually exclusive – protect our planet, build great electric vehicles Americans will love and contribute to our nation’s prosperity.”
Ford reportedly has more than 150,000 orders for its new F150 Lightning EV. Along with announcing plans for the two new facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky, the company also said it’s investing $250 million in an expansion of three southeast Michigan facilities, including its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center that will create 450 new hourly jobs.