The groundbreaking of a $5.6 billion BlueOval City EV manufacturing campus took place recently, near Stanton in Tennessee. After almost a year, the development partners, Ford and SK Innovation have finally begun the construction phase of the project. This development is a major milestone towards Ford’s target of selling 2 million electric vehicles annually by late 2026.
However the BlueOval City project is part of an $11.4 billion joint venture development plan between Ford and SK. According to Ford, this is the company’s largest, most advanced auto production complex undertaking in its 119-year history. The investment covers not only the Tennessee assembly plant, but also includes two more plants at the BlueOvalSK factory in Kentucky.
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Development plans for the BlueOval City project
The BlueOval City project is taking place at a mega-campus spanning 6-square-miles, which is thrice the size of Ford’s Rouge complex. The facility will consist of a vehicle assembly plant, and battery plant which will be operated jointly by both partners. Once the plant becomes operational by 2025, it is expected to create up to 6,000 job opportunities for the state.
The Detroit-based general contractor Walbridge, has been working on BlueOval City’s site since March. Thus far, they have made considerable progress at the site and moved over 4.6 million cubic yards of soil. In addition, they laid about 370,000 tons of stone and installed over 4,600 deep foundations. Structural steel have also been erected at the site.
Tennessee’s Governor, Bill Lee, said the BlueOval City project would have a transformational impact on the state’s residents and economy. He welcomed Ford, stating that their investment was a testament to the state’s strong business climate and unrivaled workforce.
Ford’s director, Eric Grubb mentioned that the BlueOval City project was a step towards building the future of West Tennessee. Grubb also said the new facility would serve as a blueprint for Ford’s future manufacturing facilities. This will enable the company to lead America towards a future with electric vehicles.
