Ford broke ground today on a $5.8 billion battery plant in Kentucky that will help the automaker produce 2 million electric vehicles per year.
The huge, 1,500-acre site – which is being built as part of a partnership with SK On – will have two battery facilities to collectively produce more than 80 gigawatt hours annually and will employ 5,000 workers.
‘Ford’s roots run deep in Kentucky, and BlueOval SK is going to help Ford to lead the EV revolution, bringing thousands of new, high-tech jobs to the Bluegrass State,’ said Lisa Drake, vice president, Ford EV Industrialization.
Ford broke ground today on a $5.8 billion battery plant in Kentucky that will help the automaker produce 2 million electric vehicles per year
The huge, 1,500-acre site – which is being built as part of a partnership with SK On – will have two battery facilities to collectively produce more than 80 gigawatt hours annually and will employ 5,000 workers
‘Ford is building on more than a century of investment in Kentucky and its incredible workforce.’
The factories in Glendale, Kentucky, will start production in 2025.
‘At BlueOval SK Battery Park, we’re building the future – state-of-the-art batteries for future Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles and a bright future for the workforce in Kentucky,’ said David Hahm, BlueOval SK CEO.
‘In order to produce these batteries, we need a premier workforce that is trained in the latest battery and advanced manufacturing technology.’
The 5,000 new workers will be trained at the new Elizabethtown Community and Technical College (ECTC) BlueOval SK Training Center, which is located on the large site.
The curriculum within the 42,000 square-foot training facility will support battery knowledge, roles and skills.
According to a press release from the car manufacturer, BlueOval SK will train employees in SK On’s technical, quality and manufacturing processes in the ECTC BlueOval SK Training Center’s virtual reality labs, industrial maintenance lab, work simulation lab and ergonomics techniques classrooms.
‘The partnership between Kentucky and Ford dates back more than a century, to the very dawn of the automobile industry,’ Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said.
‘That bond grows even stronger today as we break ground on Ford and SK On’s BlueOval SK Battery Park in Hardin County. As both the largest economic development project in our state’s history and part of the biggest investment ever by Ford, this project cements Kentucky’s status as the electric vehicle battery production capital of the United States.’
SK On and Hyundai Motor are about to sign a memorandum of understanding to invest about $1.88 billion in a joint venture that will produce enough batteries to power about 300,000 electric vehicles. The new factory will likely be located in Georgia, near Hyundai’s EV assembly plant.
‘The partnership between Kentucky and Ford dates back more than a century, to the very dawn of the automobile industry,’ Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said
