FRANKFORT, Ky. (Kentucky Today) – Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Tuesday that production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries officially began in Glendale at the BlueOval SK Battery Park, the largest economic investment and jobs announcement in state history.
The production milestone comes after the September 2021 announcement, where the governor and company leaders celebrated the transformative $5.8 billion investment by Ford Motor Co. and SK On that is set to create 5,000 jobs – 1,450 of which are already filled.
“Today, Kentucky marks a historic milestone four years in the making as production officially begins at two of the largest battery plants in the world, set to deliver EV batteries that will transform the automotive industry and the future of our Commonwealth,” Beshear said. “This remains the single largest investment in the history of our state, and it sparked a surge of new investment and job announcements that placed Kentucky at the center of EV-related innovation. I am grateful to Ford and SK On leaders for believing in Kentucky and our workforce. Now is the time to do what we do best as Kentuckians: deliver results.”
In September 2021, Gov. Beshear, Ford Motor Co. and SK On announced plans to build two electric battery plants on the 1,551-acre economic development site near Interstate Highway 65 in Glendale. Officials broke ground on the site late in 2022. To support workforce development for the site, the state committed $25 million to support the Elizabethton Community and Technical College (ECTC) Blue Oval SK Training Center, which leaders broke ground on in May 2023.
The production news comes just days after Gov. Beshear joined Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley, other company executives and local officials to announce a nearly $2 billion investment – the third largest in state history – at the Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP) to serve as the platform for an all-new, yet to be unveiled, electric mid-size pickup truck.
An additional $13.1 billion in EV-related investments has come from companies across the globe, following the BlueOval-SK On announcement.
