Ford delays electric vehicle production at BlueOval City

HAYWOOD COUNTY, Tenn. — Ford’s BlueOval City is still pushing forward after recent announcements about the company slowing down the introduction of its next-generation electric trucks.

Construction is still underway at Ford’s BlueOval City campus in Stanton.

Wednesday the company announced that the next-generation electric pickups will begin production in 2027 rather than what was previously planned for production in 2025 and customer deliveries in 2026.

This comes after the company realigns battery sources to be more efficient and cost less.

They say it’s about taking advantage of future battery technology to lower costs to make the truck profitable and provide a sustainable future for BlueOval City.

The company also says the BlueOval-SK Innovation battery plant will open in late 2025 and will start battery production for the all-electric commercial van coming out of an Ohio assembly plant in 2026.

Haywood County Mayor David Livingston says the slowing of plans does not come as a shock and could even benefit the area.

“(Because of) The high interest rates, we have seen a lag in housing here. In fact it’s in nearly every county. Housing is not what it needs to be to accommodate the influx of people coming in here. The drop in interest rate will actually help and give us additional time to get the infrastructure in place to accommodate the new residents of these areas,” said Mayor Livingston.

Mayor Livingston also says Ford has been very responsive to the needs of people and is thankful for establishing an open line of communication with them.

Ford President and CEO Jim Farley says:

“West Tennessee is a linchpin in our plan to create a strong and growing ford in America. BlueOval City will be one of the most advanced manufacturing complexes anywhere in the world, and we are counting on the workforce in West Tennessee to produce advanced batteries starting next year, and then our most innovative pickup ever starting in 2027.”

Ford’s BlueOval City is a more than $5.5 billion dollar project and one of the largest industrial complexes in the history of the state of Tennessee.

The company also announced they are canceling plans for a three-row electric SUV to focus on its next generation of electric vehicles where it has competitive advantages.

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