Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn today announced it has broken ground at BlueOval City, its largest, most advanced auto production complex in the company’s 119-year history.
Structural steel is now being erected less than one year after Ford and SK On announced their $5.6 billion investment to build all-new electric truck and advanced batteries for future Ford and Lincoln vehicles in west Tennessee. The nearly 6-square-mile mega campus will create approximately 6,000 new jobs when production begins in 2025.
“We are building the future right here in west Tennessee,” says Eric Grubb, Ford’s director of new footprint construction. “This facility is the blueprint for Ford’s future manufacturing facilities and will enable Ford to help lead America’s shift to electric vehicles.”
With construction underway at BlueOval City, Ford — America’s No. 2 electric vehicle brand based on August sales — gets closer to its target of a 2 million EV production run rate globally by late 2026.
“Ford’s historic investment in West Tennessee is a testament to our state’s strong business climate and unmatched workforce,” says Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “BlueOval City will have a transformational impact on Tennesseans and our economy, and we’re proud this global company will call Haywood County home.”
In addition to working with local communities, Ford is working with the University of Tennessee to restore the stream waters flowing through the University’s Lone Oaks Farm and to expand STEM education to Tennessee students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Since March, when Ford and its construction partners began preparing the land for construction, the progress entails:
- Crews have moved more than 4.6 million cubic yards of soil, enough to fill approximately 34,500 backyard swimming pools.
- Nearly 370,000 tons of stone have been laid, the weight of more than 1,600 Statues of Liberty.
- More than 4,600 deep foundations installed, totaling the height of approximately 176 Eiffel Towers when put end to end.