Ford Motor Co. is pushing back the start of production at one of the two massive electric vehicle battery plants it’s building in Hardin County.
WDRB reports company leaders announced the decision Thursday to Wall Street analysts. When the project was originally announced in the fall of 2021, both battery production plants were scheduled to open in the town of Glendale in 2025.
Ford executives said Thursday the first of the two plants is still on track to open that year, but production at the second facility won’t begin until 2026.
The two factories are each expected to employ around 2,500 people, and are to be operated by BlueOval SK, a joint business venture between Ford and the South Korean company SK On. BlueOval SK recently began hiring for a number of positions at the Hardin County manufacturing plants.
Ford executives said Thursday the decision to push back the opening of one of the plants was made due to uncertainty over market demand for electric vehicles.
When it was announced, the $5.8 billion project became the single largest manufacturing investment in Kentucky’s history. It’s also something Gov. Andy Beshear has pointed to throughout his re-election campaign as an example of how the commonwealth’s economy has rebounded following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor also reacted to the news of Ford’s announcement Thursday.
“My understanding is the second battery plant, which isn’t scheduled to open until 2026, Ford is looking at the operational schedule of that plant and looking to be at least a little bit flexible depending on the demand for EVs in the market,” Beshear said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
A recent study projected the population of Hardin County would increase by around 22,000 people due to the electric vehicle battery plants.
