BlueOval SK, the joint venture between SK On and Ford Motor Co., has begun commercial production at its first battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky.
The company announced on August 19 that shipments of electric vehicle battery cells have started rolling out of Kentucky Plant 1.
With an annual capacity of 37 gigawatt-hours, the facility will supply cells for Ford’s F-150 Lightning electric pickup and E-Transit electric cargo van, as well as future Ford and Lincoln EV models.
BlueOval SK employs 1,450 workers at the site, over 90 percent of whom are Kentucky residents.
An inaugural ceremony to mark the start of full-scale operations is planned soon.
Michael Adams, CEO of BlueOval SK, said, “We are pleased to be producing batteries for next-generation electric vehicles at our Kentucky Plant 1. This production launch is an important milestone that further strengthens our position in the electric vehicle battery market.”
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated, “The BlueOval SK Kentucky plant is the largest investment project in our state’s history, sparking a wave of new investments and job creation, and making Kentucky the center of electric vehicle innovation. I am deeply grateful to the leaders of Ford and SK On for showing their faith in Kentucky.”
The joint venture was formed in July 2022, backed by a combined investment of $11.4 billion to develop three battery plants across Kentucky and Tennessee.
BlueOval SK has indicated that the timing for bringing the second Kentucky facility and the Tennessee plant online will depend on market demand and business conditions.
The start of production at Kentucky Plant 1 enhances SK On’s domestic manufacturing footprint, complementing its existing battery cell operations in Georgia under SK Battery America. This expanded capacity is expected to improve SK On’s responsiveness to North American orders.
For Ford, the new plant provides a more secure supply of nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) battery cells, supporting its broader electrification strategy. The automaker recently announced plans for a mid-size electric truck priced around $30,000 that will use lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, illustrating its aim to diversify battery chemistries across its upcoming EV lineup.
Source: Business Korea
