BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky on October 22, 2025
History
2021 to 2022
In May 2021, the two companies announced an MoU for the joint venture, with the goal of producing approximately 60 GWh per year by the middle of the decade, along with 11,000 jobs.[7] In September, a Kentucky bill designated $350 million in forgivable loans, $250 million of which would be given to BOSK.[13] That month, sites were announced for Stanton, Tennessee and Glendale, Kentucky.[9] The announcement gained the support of Republican officials from the two states who were noted for opposing efforts like the Green New Deal.[14] Groundbreaking began on both sites in 2022.[15][16]
BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky under construction on December 18, 2022
In January 2025, the United Auto Workers petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a union election at the Kentucky site. It stated that the majority of employees were supportive of a union.[21] The results of the vote, in August, were contested by BOSK on the grounds of ineligible ballots.[22] Production at the Kentucky plant started the week before the vote.[23] In October, Governor Lee visited Seoul to meet with SK On's CEO.[24] In December, Ford announced a halt to its plans for larger electric vehicles due to regulatory, demand, and cost issues. It entered a JV disposition agreement with SK On and SK Battery America, dividing ownership of the plants. A Ford subsidiary would exclusively operate the Kentucky battery plants, while SK On would take Tennessee's. The Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center in BlueOval City was renamed to the "Tennessee Truck Plant." The focus of Ford's battery production shifted to battery energy storage systems for data centers and the electric grid.[25] The Kentucky plant's work force would be laid off by February of 2026, with the plan to rehire 2,100 employees in 2027 after retooling.[26] In January 2026, the NLRB greenlit the progress of the union's certification. BOSK planned to file an appeal, with future unionization status of the plant's rehired workers in the air.[27][28] In February, it was reported that Ford would not operate the second building in Kentucky and would look for other manufacturers that might be interested in it.[13]
BlueOval City in Stanton, Tennessee
Sites
BlueOval City was constructed on the Memphis Regional Megasite, which had failed to attract a tenant for years due to wastewater treatment issues.[29] The Battery Park was constructed on a site purchased by the Kentucky state in 2002 to attract Hyundai to build a car plant.[13][30]
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