Ford's joint venture with SK On, BlueOval SK, began commercial battery production at its Glendale, Kentucky plant, producing nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cells for the F-150 Lightning and E-Transit. A second BlueOval SK plant in Tennessee is under construction but delayed to 2027 due to slower EV demand and the impending end of federal EV tax credits. The $5.8 billion Glendale site employs about 1,450 workers and could reach 5,000 at full capacity. The Department of Energy awarded BlueOval SK a $9.3 billion loan to build three plants, supporting thousands of construction and operations jobs. Ford faces declining EV sales amid intensifying competition.
The $5.8 billion Glendale site currently employs about 1,450 workers and could grow to 5,000 if it reaches full capacity. Its inauguration has come after reaping benefits from the Biden administration's pro-climate policies, mainly the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In December 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded BlueOval SK a record $9.3 billion loan to build three battery plants: two in Kentucky and one in Tennessee. At the time, the DOE said the projects would support 5,000 construction jobs and create up to 7,500 operations jobs.
The investment comes at a time when Ford's EV sales are under pressure. Crosstown rival General Motors claims that it is now the largest battery producer in the U.S., supplying cells to nearly a dozen EVs that it now has on sale. Meanwhile, Ford's EV sales are declining. In the first half of this year, F-150 Lightning deliveries fell nearly 17% to 13,029 units, E-Transit sales dropped 34% to 4,174 whereas Mustang Mach-E sales slipped 2% to 21,785.
The facility will produce nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries for the F-150 Lightning pickup truck and the E-Transit van. A second BlueOval SK battery plant is under construction in Tennessee, but its launch has been pushed to 2027 amid slower growth in EV demand and the looming expiration of federal EV tax credits on Sept. 30.
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