SK Innovation and Ford's BlueOval SK joint venture begins battery production at Kentucky plant.

SK Innovation and Ford's joint venture, BlueOval SK, has begun battery production at its Kentucky plant. The facility aims to manufacture batteries for Ford's electric vehicles. The joint venture will produce lithium-ion batteries for Ford's electric vehicles in North America.

Louisville, Ky. (July 2, 2025) — BlueOval SK, the joint venture between American automaker Ford and South Korean conglomerate SK Innovation, has announced the commencement of battery production at its Kentucky plant. The facility, located in Glendale, is set to manufacture lithium-ion batteries for Ford's electric vehicles (EVs) in North America.

According to a press release, the first battery to be sold to a customer rolled off the assembly line on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone in the company's operations. The batteries produced at the Kentucky plant will initially power the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning, with future plans to supply batteries for Ford's current E-Transit with enhanced range [1].

The Kentucky 1 plant is expected to create more than 1,450 jobs, with plans to expand to 2,500 employees by 2026 and 5,000 by 2030. The state of Kentucky has agreed to provide an interest-free loan of $250 million to support these employment targets [1].

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear hailed the production announcement as a historic milestone, noting that it represents the single largest investment in the state's history. The $5.8 billion investment by Ford and SK Innovation has sparked a surge of new investment and job announcements, placing Kentucky at the center of EV-related innovation [1].

The BlueOval SK battery plant at BlueOval City in Tennessee is set to begin production in 2027, further expanding the company's manufacturing capabilities [1]. Ford has also announced that the Louisville Assembly Plant will be the launch site for a new generation of electric vehicles built on the company’s Universal EV Platform, with production starting in 2026 [1].

While the EV market in the U.S. is currently experiencing a slowdown, BlueOval SK's CEO, Michael Adams, has indicated that the company is exploring potential customers beyond Ford. This includes other electric vehicle makers and firms in the energy storage business, suggesting a potential diversification of the joint venture's revenue streams [3].

In conclusion, BlueOval SK's battery production at its Kentucky plant marks a significant step forward in the development of electric vehicles in North America. The joint venture's strategic investment in Kentucky underscores the state's growing role in the EV industry and highlights the potential for job creation and economic growth.

References:
[1] https://www.wdrb.com/news/business/blueoval-sk-launches-battery-production-at-kentucky-plant-for-fords-electric-f-150/article_b24f2cbf-8f1a-4bfa-98a9-13935205f50f.html
[3] https://newsable.asianetnews.com/markets/ford-considers-offloading-excess-battery-capacity-as-ev-market-weakens-report-articleshow-9fcg74h