Construction Begins on Ford’s New $5.6 Billion EV Manufacturing Complex
The facility will further Ford CEO Jim Farley’s goal to build 2 million EVs annually by the end of 2026.
The facility will further Ford CEO Jim Farley’s goal to build 2 million EVs annually by the end of 2026.
IMAGE: Ford
Ford Motor Co. recently broke ground on a $5.6 billion electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing complex in western Tennessee, the largest factory project in the automaker’s 119-year history.
The site stretches 6 square miles and is three times the size of the automaker’s Rouge complex in Michigan, which the company built to make Model Ts over a century ago. By 2025, the new site, known as BlueOval City, will employ 6,000 workers building electric pickup trucks and batteries in a joint venture with SK Innovation.
Ford and SK Innovation also plan to build two battery factories in Kentucky that will employ another 5,000 workers.
The expansions will further Ford CEO Jim Farley’s goal to build 2 million EVs annually by the end of 2026.
The Detroit automaker will spend $50 billion on EVs through 2026 to accommodate expectations that battery-powered vehicles will comprise over of half the company’s sales by 2030. Ford sold 27,140 EVs in the U.S. in all of 2021.
“This facility is the blueprint for Ford’s future manufacturing facilities and will enable Ford to help lead America’s shift to electric vehicles,” Eric Grubb, Ford’s director of new footprint construction, said in a statement.
The Tennessee site represents the first all-new assembly plant for Ford since 1969. The company will build power packs for Ford and Lincoln models in the battery factory.
Construction crews began erecting the steel framing of the battery plant earlier this month and will start setting structural beams on the assembly plant in October, according to Donna Langford, Ford’s project supervisor.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Industry
RV Group Expands Carolina Footprint
Blue Compass RV Columbia Northeast is the 13th RV dealership owned by Blue Compass in the Carolinas.
Read More →
Agent Acumen
An Agent Summit panel of people who’ve been supporting auto dealers for years gave both timely and timeless advice for those starting out or mulling the prospect.
Read More →
Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity
As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.
Read More →
Mitsubishi Unveils U.S. Plan
The automaker announced a strategy that includes an expanded lineup and dealership presence, along with more ‘rugged’ and electric models.
Read More →
Selling to Grow
The question of whether you should sell your agency and if so, when, is up to you. But it’s a question worth asking to ensure you keep the business on the right path for yourself, employees and clients.
Read More →
Recalled Vehicles Hit 5-Year High
Though the number of events has fallen so far this year, impacted units are up significantly. Meanwhile, regulators consider consumer notification changes.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Top-Performing Rooftop
Car Pros sold its Kia Huntington Beach location to Sutherlin Automotive Group, marking the buyer’s third location in Southern California.
Read More →
China as Pacesetter
Automotive leaders huddled on where North America stands in the global picture and how it can strengthen its position against the Asian juggernaut’s surging industry.
Read More →
BMW Concept Car Makes Fuel to Burn
The prototype developed in concert with a South Carolina university engineering team generates more solar energy than it uses in a typical daily commute.
Read More →
South Carolina Auto Group Downsizes
Florida-based group Holler-Classic has acquired four rooftops, its first in South Carolina, from Dick Smith Automotive Group.
Read More →