On Monday, September 27, Ford Motor Company solidified it’s position as a leader in the green energy space with plans to bring electric vehicles to scale for North American customers. The announcement details a significant investment in the manufacturing of electric vehicles; specifically, an $11.4 billion injection into a two EV “mega” campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky. These campuses will produce the next generation of electric F-Series trucks, as well as the batteries that will power future EVs in the Ford arsenal.
This news is especially noteworthy, as it marks the largest ever investment into U.S. electric vehicles at one time by any automotive manufacturer, and will create nearly 11,000 jobs across local communities. One of the campuses, called Blue Oval City and located in Stanton, Tennessee, will span 3,600 acres and promises to reimagine how vehicles and batteries are manufactured. The complex will include a battery plant and a new vehicle assembly plant, while making history as the largest, most advanced and environmentally conscious facility of its kind. To this effect, a spokesman for the Blue Oval said that the campus is the firm’s largest single manufacturing investment in its 118-year history, making it the first step in creating a sustainable U.S. supply chain for EVs.
Ford’s Blue Oval City
The Kentucky campus, called Blue Oval SK Battery Park, will act as a joint venture between Ford and it’s South Korean partner, SK Innovation. This campus promises to supply Ford’s North American assembly plants with locally assembled advanced lithium-ion batteries that will power future Fords and Lincoln EV models.
“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, while sharing the announcement. Overall, Ford expects 40 per cent to 50 per cent of its global vehicle volume to be fully electric by 2030.
