Ford to invest US$11.4 billion in advanced factory and battery plants

Ford has announced it will build a new ‘mega campus’ for the production of electric vehicles, along with twin battery manufacturing plants.

The new Blue Oval City, as it will be called, is to be constructed across a 15 square kilometre area in the US state of Tennessee, and will produce the next generation of electric pick-ups, as well as advanced batteries for Ford and Lincoln models.

In neighbouring Kentucky, the BlueOvalSK Battery Park will be created in partnership with SK Innovation, with the two factories to supply Ford with batteries as it transitions to an electric vehicle line-up.

All told, Ford and SK Innovation are expecting to invest US$11.4 billion (AU$15.7B) in the new facilities, creating an estimated 11,000 new jobs.

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“This is our moment – our biggest investment ever – to help build a better future for America,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley.

“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 says the twin battery plants will open in 2025, the same year construction will begin on Blue Oval City.