Ford
Compare Ford…Designs, manufactures, markets, and services automobiles, trucks, SUVs, and electric vehicles worldwide.
SectorsElectric Vehicles
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FordDesigns, manufactures, markets, and services automobiles, trucks, SUVs, and electric vehicles worldwide.
| Plant / Location | Partner Structure | Capacity (GWh) | Chemistry / Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BlueOval City. Stanton, TN (Memphis area) | Ford 50% + SK On 50% JV (cells); Ford 100% (vehicle assembly) | ~43 GWh cells + Ford F-Series EV next-gen assembly | NCM. Production start delayed to 2027 (originally 2025); $5.8B initial investment |
| BlueOval SK Twin Plant 1. Glendale, KY | Ford 50% + SK On 50% JV | ~43 GWh | NCM. Production started Q1 2025; supplies F-150 Lightning + future Ford EVs + Lincoln EVs |
| BlueOval SK Twin Plant 2. Hawkins, KY | Ford 50% + SK On 50% JV | ~43 GWh | NCM. Production start delayed to 2026 (originally 2025); commissioning ongoing 2025 |
| BlueOval Battery Park. Marshall, MI | Ford 100% wholly-owned; licenses LFP tech from CATL | ~20 GWh (downsized from 35 GWh original) | LFP (CATL license). Production start delayed to late 2026 (originally H1 2026); ~1,700 jobs (downsized from 2,500); $3B+ investment |
| Glanzstoff Hungary cathode partnership (canceled) | Ford + Glanzstoff | N/A | Announced 2022 for cathode active material; subsequently shelved as Ford pivoted battery focus to US (IRA-driven) |
| Total announced US capacity | Ford + SK On + CATL license | ~129 GWh announced | ~43 GWh in production (Twin 1 Q1 2025); remaining 86 GWh ramping through 2026 to 2028 |
| Cell supplier diversification (in parallel) | LG Energy Solution + CATL imports | Variable | LG Energy Solution supplies Mustang Mach-E from Wroclaw Poland; CATL imports for some F-150 Lightning Standard Range packs; Ford does not disclose split |
| Capex commitment (cumulative through 2026) | Ford-share of joint commitments + 100% Michigan | $11.4B+ Ford-attributed | Largest legacy-OEM US battery commitment; comparison: GM ~$7B for Ultium Cells, Stellantis ~$5B for StarPlus + NextStar |
| Date / Event | Trigger | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-04. F-150 Lightning first deliveries | Production ramp | Initial run-rate ~150/week; Ford targets 150,000/year by 2024 |
| 2022-12. Production ramp halt for inspection | Battery fire during pre-delivery quality hold | 5-week halt of Rouge Electric Vehicle Center; SK On supplier root-cause investigation |
| 2023-02. Resumes production after SK On battery fix | Production resumed at 150/week pace | Mar 2023 deliveries resume; SK On modified cell-manufacturing process |
| 2023-08. Production rate boosted to 1,200/week | Demand-driven scale-up | Ford targeting 150K/year run-rate; Lightning becomes #2 BEV after Tesla in some quarters |
| 2023-10. UAW strike (CAS dispute, not Lightning-specific) | Industry-wide labor action | Lightning production affected briefly; agreement reached Oct 25; back to normal cadence |
| 2024-Jan. Cuts production rate by half | Soft demand + price cuts | Drops from 1,600/week to ~800/week target; Lightning ASP cut by $5K to $10K to clear inventory |
| 2024-Apr. Multi-week pause (further inventory adjustment) | Inventory glut | ~6 weeks halt; dealer days-supply >100; Ford cuts pickup-of-glove-box ASP further |
| 2024-Sep. Production restart at reduced rate | Demand reset | Targets ~600/week; effectively halving original 2024 plan |
| 2024-Nov. Pulls back 2025 production guidance | Q3 2024 earnings call | Ford CFO John Lawler signals Lightning 2025 production well below 2024 actuals; CEO Farley acknowledges Lightning losing money per unit |
| 2025-Mar. Idles plant for 2 weeks | Battery part availability | SK On Twin 1 Glendale ramp-up disruption; Lightning production paused two weeks |
| 2025-Q2. Lightning Q2 sales fall ~30% YoY | Demand softness continued | Ford Pro shifts marketing focus to Super Duty Hybrid; Lightning loses share to Cybertruck + Silverado EV |
| 2025-Q3. 2025 full-year production target now ~45,000 | Demand-driven downsizing | Down from peak 90K in 2023; Ford guides Lightning to operate as niche-volume product rather than F-150 replacement |
| Editorial note | Ford Model e structure | Lightning's challenges are the largest single contributor to Ford Model e EBIT losses. Industry consensus: Ford built capacity in advance of customer demand. Next-gen F-Series EV (planned at BlueOval City TN, 2027) is positioned as the financial reset; Lightning continues as lower-volume bridge product. |
Q1 2024-Q1 2026
Q1 2024-Q1 2026
2021-Q2-2026-Q1
1993-2025
$F· Lincoln
Offers mainstream EVs through its Model e division including the Mustang Mach-E crossover and F-150 Lightning pickup truck. One of America's largest automakers with $170B+ revenue and ~100K EV deliveries in 2024. Restructured into separate Model e (EV), Ford Blue (ICE), and Ford Pro (commercial) divisions to sharpen EV focus while leveraging truck and commercial vehicle strength.
Key Milestones
Ford Motor Company founded in Dearborn, Michigan by Henry Ford: pioneers moving assembly line in 1913 with Model T, becoming the template for 20th-century mass production and global ICE dominance.
Ford launches Th!nk City EV pilot in Norway, acquired through Pivco: early experimentation in city EV; Ford sells Th!nk in 2003 after limited market success.
Focus Electric launches as Ford's first modern BEV: a compliance car with limited 76-mile range and modest volume; foreshadows but does not anchor Ford's later EV pivot.
Mustang Mach-E unveiled at LA Auto Show: Ford's first dedicated EV nameplate and Mustang-brand SUV crossover. Controversial use of the iconic Mustang badge but commercially successful.
Mustang Mach-E first deliveries: Ford's first ground-up BEV reaches U.S. customers as a 2021 model; the model becomes Ford's most successful new EV launch and validates the Tesla-rival approach.
F-150 Lightning unveiled at Dearborn: pre-orders surge past 200,000 within two weeks; the electric F-150 becomes a defining moment for U.S. EV consumer adoption beyond early-adopter Tesla buyers.
F-150 Lightning production starts at Rouge Electric Vehicle Center: the first electric pickup from a Detroit Three OEM, beating Chevrolet Silverado EV and Ram 1500 Lightning to retail.
First major automaker to adopt Tesla's NACS plug: opens Supercharger access for Ford EVs starting 2024 and triggers cascade as GM, Rivian, Volvo, Mercedes follow within weeks.
Cuts F-150 Lightning production capacity in half due to softer-than-expected demand: early signal of U.S. EV demand softness in mass-market truck segment ahead of broader 2024 pullback.
F-150 Lightning owners gain access to 15,000+ Tesla Superchargers via NACS adapter on Feb 29: Ford becomes the first non-Tesla brand to access Superchargers, validating the May 2023 partnership.
Cancels three-row electric SUV: pivots EV strategy to a smaller, lower-cost platform with $1.9B writedown. Ford's most explicit U.S.-EV-strategy reset of the 2020s.
Announces end of F-150 Lightning production: Ford pivots to next-generation low-cost EV truck platform from California-based Skunkworks team led by ex-Tesla engineers, targeting sub-$30K mid-size electric truck.
Ford previews next-gen affordable EV platform: built on a low-cost skateboard architecture with CTC LFP cells, targeting $30K base price and 2027 launch in mid-size SUV form factor.
