Ford, SK to invest $11.4 billion to add electric F-150 plant, three battery factories

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: CNBC

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

SEPTEMBER 27, 20217:07 PM UPDATED 21 MINUTES AGO

Ford, SK to invest $11.4 billion to add electric F-150 plant, three battery factories

By Ben Klayman

5 MIN READ

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co and its Korean battery partner SK Innovation will invest $11.4 billion to build an electric F-150 assembly plant, and three battery plants in the United States, accelerating the No. 2 U.S. automaker’s push into electric vehicles.

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A battery manufacturing complex U.S automaker Ford Motor Co and its South Korean battery partner SK Innovation plan to build in Kentucky, opening in 2025, is seen in an artist's renditon released September 27, 2021. Ford Motor Co/Handout via REUTERS

Ford also said on Monday it now expects to have 40% to 50% of its global vehicle volume to be all-electric by 2030, up from its prior forecast of 40%.

The companies intend to create nearly 11,000 jobs by opening assembly and battery plants in Stanton, Tennessee, and two additional battery factories in Glendale, Kentucky, as part of Ford’s previously announced plan to spend more than $30 billion through 2030 on electrification, Ford said. Plants on both sites will open in 2025.

Monday’s announcement is the single largest manufacturing investment in Ford’s 118-year history. The Tennessee assembly and battery complex will be about three times the size of Ford’s sprawling, century-old Rouge manufacturing complex in Dearborn, Michigan, Ford North American Chief Operating Officer Lisa Drake told Reuters in an interview. She emphasized there will be room to expand on that site.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/ford-motor-electric-idUSL1N2QQ1G3

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Hat tip, the NBC evening news

[walkingman]

1. The move by auto companies to anti-union, right-to-work states

is a continuation of what has hurt the American worker over the last 50 years. It's good that we are moving away from fossil fuels (supposedly) but we need more union jobs with good pay and benefits.

[NullTuples]

2. Why the deep red states?

Is it to give an alternative to coal jobs?

[tinrobot]

3. That's actually not a bad idea.

[NullTuples]

4. It would wrest power away from coal/carbon energy companies.

[Jimbo S]

14. I'm a whole list of variables evaluated in determining a location

available existing capacity
transportation costs/logistics
supply chain
labor availability
labor costs
local taxes
possible government incentives
others I'm sure I have missed

[Slammer]

16. Ford infrastructure and history

Infrastructure the business already has in the area.
For example, Ford likely isn't going to have to completely start from scratch on establishing branches of the accounting and payroll departments locally like they would in a completely new location.

Personal and working relationships the company already as with politicians in the area.
Again, not having to start over from scratch. And not having to worry about the local politicians stabbing them in the back at the first opportunity.

[doc03]

5. One big question. Do we have the electric generating capacity to charge all those

vehicles? It will take a huge amount of extra power to charge those vehicles meanwhile we have been shutting down
power plants. We have brown outs when we have 90 degree days what will millions of battery chargers do? Each one of them using more current than a whole house air conditioner.

[truthisfreedom]

6. Most home charging takes place at night, when more power

Is available. People plug in their electrics when they get home, every time they park. So much more power is available in the US at night that there’s a kWh discount available from most power utilities if you’re willing to install a special switch for charging that the power company can disconnect at will, depending on needs.

[NickB79]

8. Even firing up shuttered gas and coal plants, it's still lower in carbon emissions

The sheer increase in efficiency in massive power plants vs millions of gas powered vehicles on the road still makes it a win for environment.

[LiberalFighter]

7. Rachel Maddow did a compelling segment about it this evening.

[byronius]

9. I'm in. That's my next car.

[Firestorm49]

10. Is anybody giving any real thought as to how and where

we’re going to dispose of 10 billion high power engine batteries down the road, or will it be another coal mine type of bogus clean up operation after more ground water or air becomes contaminated beyond reclamation?

[NurseJackie]

13. Actually, a great deal of thought and planning is underway...

... this article (with helpful and interesting illustrations and diagrams) was very interesting.

https://www.science.org/news/2021/05/millions-electric-cars-are-coming-what-happens-all-dead-batteries

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. Ford to build $11.4 billion mega campuses for electric car production

Yahoo Finance

Ford to build $11.4 billion mega campuses for electric car production

Brian Sozzi·Anchor, Editor-at-Large
Mon, September 27, 2021, 7:00 PM

Saying Ford is driving head on into a future of electric vehicles may be an understatement. Think more along the line of hauling a-–.

The Detroit-based auto giant said Monday it will partner with SK Innovation to invest $11.4 billion to construct two "mega-sites" — one in Tennessee and the other in Kentucky — that will build electric trucks and batteries. Ford's portion of the investment — $7 billion — is the largest manufacturing investment in the company's 118-year-old history.

“This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead America’s transition to electric vehicles and usher in a new era of clean, carbon-neutral manufacturing,” said Ford executive chairman Bill Ford, a long-time proponent of the push to electric vehicles. “With this investment and a spirit of innovation, we can achieve goals once thought mutually exclusive – protect our planet, build great electric vehicles Americans will love and contribute to our nation’s prosperity.”

Stanton, Tennessee will see the construction of Blue Oval City, which Ford says will aid in building an "expanded" electric-truck lineup. Currently, Ford has released the all-electric SUV called the Mach-E and soon will begin producing the all-electric F-150 Lightning. The 3,600-acre campus will cover nearly 6 square miles, at a total of $5.6 billion. It's expected to created 6,000 jobs.

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[Steelrolled]

15. Good for Ford and congrats to Tennessee and Kentucky.

Will be interested in seeing Ford's new electrics.

I currently drive an electric, and had 0 problems in four years (putting aside the recall for battery fires ) so I'm not sure when I will be the market for a new one.

[Corgigal]

17. Thank you

to our Democratic Governor Andy Beshear. He did the work.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. Rachel Maddow also covered this story:

Ford To Make Huge Electric Car Investment, Challenging Washington To Keep Up - Rachel Maddow - MSNBC
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017683953

Rachel Maddow report on Ford announcing a plan to spend billions on new manufacturing of electric vehicles and the batteries that power them as Democrats try to push past opposition to to infrastructure and climate legislation that corresponds with growing American demand for a shift to fossil fuels. Aired on 09/27/2021.