Ford is promising extra inexpensive electrical automobiles, nevertheless it’s nonetheless seeking to make a revenue. After kicking off manufacturing at its new EV battery plant in Kentucky, Ford is already on the lookout for consumers to promote further batteries.
Is Ford planning to promote EV batteries?
BlueOval SK, Ford’s three way partnership with SK On, formally started manufacturing at its Glendale, Kentucky, plant on Tuesday.
The batteries will initially be used to energy the F-150 Lighting electrical pickup. Nonetheless, Ford has larger plans for the ability.
Throughout an interview with Bloomberg, BlueOval SK CEO Michael Adams mentioned, “Each of our dad and mom are on the lookout for alternatives for brand spanking new enterprise.” In response to Adams, securing new shoppers to promote batteries to is “pretty excessive.”
Potential consumers may contain vitality storage companies or different EV makers, Adams defined. A Bloomberg report earlier this yr claimed that Ford’s three way partnership was closing in on a deal to promote batteries to Nissan, however no official affirmation has been made.
Ford’s new plans to promote extra batteries comes because it faces slowing EV gross sales and upcoming coverage adjustments. The corporate’s EV gross sales are down practically 10% via the primary seven months of 2025 in comparison with the identical interval final yr.
With the $7,500 tax credit score set to run out on the finish of September, the market will get much more aggressive from right here.
The three way partnership has already scaled again plans on the Kentucky facility. Initially, the plant was anticipated to make use of 2,500 employees. Now, it can have 1,450 staff.
Ford can be pausing manufacturing at a second plant in Kentucky as a part of a broader technique shift. In response to Adams, the third battery plant, in Tennessee, will nonetheless start producing batteries in 2027 regardless of Ford delaying its next-gen electrical pickup till the next yr.
Adams mentioned the whole lot is shifting slower than anticipated, including, “We’re in a monitoring section and simply being conservative in what we do to be able to ensure that we’re secure.”
Ford has overhauled its EV technique with plans to launch smaller, extra inexpensive electrical vehicles. The corporate is betting on its new “Ford EV Common Platform” to unlock extra inexpensive electrical automobiles whereas nonetheless making a revenue.
The primary car based mostly on the platform is predicted to be a mid-size electrical pickup with a beginning value round $30,000. Buyer deliveries are set to start in 2027.
Ford will make the most of lower-cost lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries, manufactured in Michigan with licensed expertise from China’s CATL, to energy the brand new platform.
Electrek’s Take
Like most automakers, Ford is aggressively seeking to minimize prices to show a revenue on electrical automobiles. After its EV enterprise, Mannequin e, misplaced $5.1 billion final yr, Ford is warning that it may lose much more this yr attributable to investments in its next-gen fashions.
In response to Farley, the primary mannequin will have to be worthwhile in its first yr available on the market. Promoting further batteries may very well be a brand new income for Ford because it appears to show issues round.
Ford isn’t the one automaker that desires to promote EV batteries within the US. Earlier this yr, a Nikkei report claimed Toyota would start promoting batteries to energy Honda’s hybrid automobiles from its new plant in NC, beginning in 2026.
