Ford invests $11.4B to create 11,000 jobs, advanced EVs

Ford Motor Co. plans to bring electric vehicles at scale to American customers with two new massive, environmentally and technologically advanced campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky that will produce the next generation of electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles.

Ford and partner South Korean SK Innovation plan to invest $11.4 billion and create nearly 11,000 new jobs at the Tennessee and Kentucky mega-sites.

An all-new $5.6 billion mega campus in Stanton, Tennessee, called Blue Oval City, will create approximately 6,000 new jobs and reimagine how vehicles and batteries are manufactured.

Blue Oval City will allow Ford to assemble an expanded lineup of electric F-Series vehicles and will include a joint venture BlueOvalSK battery plant, key suppliers, and recycling.

In central Kentucky, Ford plans to build a dedicated battery manufacturing complex with SK Innovation – the $5.8 billion BlueOvalSK Battery Park – creating 5,000 jobs. 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.

“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.” 

“This is our moment – our biggest investment ever – to help build a better future for America,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “We are moving now to deliver breakthrough electric vehicles for the many rather than the few. It’s about creating good jobs that support American families, an ultra-efficient, carbon-neutral manufacturing system, and a growing business that delivers value for communities, dealers, and shareholders.”

Ford’s $7 billion investment is the largest ever manufacturing investment at one time by any automotive manufacturer in the U.S., part of Ford’s more-than-$30 billion investment in electric vehicles through 2025. Overall, Ford expects 40% to 50% of its global vehicle volume to be fully electric by 2030.

Dongseob Jee, president of battery business, SK Innovation, said “We are excited to be taking this decisive leap together, as partners, and to bring about our common vision for a cleaner planet. Our joint venture, BlueOvalSK, will embody this spirit of collaboration. We look forward to growing our trust-based partnership by delivering on our market-leading value proposition, experience and cutting-edge expertise.”

Blue Oval City will be among the largest auto manufacturing campuses in U.S. history. The 3,600-acre campus covering nearly 6 square miles will encompass vehicle assembly, battery production, and a supplier park in a vertically integrated system that delivers cost efficiency while minimizing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. The assembly plant will use always-on cloud-connected technologies to drive improvements in quality and productivity.

Ford is collaborating with Redwood Materials, a battery materials company, to make electric vehicles more sustainable and affordable for Americans by localizing the supply chain network, creating recycling options for scrap and end-of-life vehicles, and ramping up lithium-ion recycling.

The 1,500-acre BlueOvalSK battery manufacturing campus in Glendale, Kentucky, is targeted to open in 2025.

Twin co-located plants will be capable of producing up to 43GW hours each for a total of 86GW hours annually.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, said, “This is the single largest investment in the history of our state and this project solidifies our leadership role in the future of the automotive manufacturing industry. It will transform our economy, creating a better Kentucky, with more opportunities, for our families for generations.

SK Innovation will split off its battery business on October 1 as a wholly owned subsidiary to accelerate business growth.