After unveiling plans for a $30,000 electric truck, senior Ford executives told journalists it was the perfect launchpad for their new EV program. Trucks, they argued, make it easier to integrate certain features-even if those features aren't used every day. But the EV market doesn't follow the same rules as gas vehicles. Growth has been driven by crossovers and Ford isn't ignoring that segment.
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.
"We believe working together in person on a day-to-day basis will help accelerate Ford's transformation into a higher growth, higher margin, less cyclical and more dynamic company."