- Ford's new mega-campus BlueOval City is underway, adding 6,000 jobs in the area.
- This new plant, located northeast of Memphis, Tennessee, will be the production home of the automaker's newest all-electric pickup truck.
- Code-named Project T3, production for the new truck is slated for 2025.
Mystery Electric Pickup Will Be Built at Ford's New Tennessee Plant
"This new truck is going to be like the Millennium Falcon," says Ford CEO Jim Farley
- byKristin ShawContributorKristin Shaw has worked in the automotive industry as a freelance writer since 2012. Her first review was about a Ferrari F430, which is a great place to start for a lifelong enthusiast. She has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the past decade, and some of her favorites include the C2 and C8 Corvette, Lamborghini Aventador S, BMW X5 and Toyota GR86. Her dream car is a restomod 1957 Chevy Bel Air in turquoise. She's competing in her first Rebelle Rally, an all-female off-roading competition, in the fall of 2022 in a lifted Hyundai Santa Cruz. Her work has also been seen in The Drive, AutoWise, GearJunkie, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes Wheels, Today, The Washington Post and more.
- March 24th, 2023
Yesterday, Ford unveiled its new company structure, dividing its focus between three segments: Ford Blue for gas and hybrid vehicles, Ford Model e for electric vehicles, and Ford Pro for commercial vehicles. Ford’s EV division, Model e, is “a startup buried within Ford," CFO John Lawler told CNBC reporters. Startups aren’t known for making money out of the gate, but Ford is bullish on its future EV-selling potential — even as the division faces a $3 billion loss for this year (up from a loss of $2.1 billion last year) directly related to its heavy investments in EVs.
Not only is the executive team standing firm on its electrified plan, today the automaker celebrated the kickoff of BlueOval City, a so-called “mega-campus” dedicated to EVs. Touting 6,000 new jobs and the ability to produce 500,000 EV trucks at full production, the Stanton, Tennessee, plant will be the production site of Ford’s next electric truck.
Code-named Project T3, which stands for “Trust The Truck,” the EV is estimated to launch in 2025. Ford has millions of reasons to trust that its loyal buyers will take a look at its newest offering, considering the decades-long success of its F-150. Strategically, Ford created its first all-electric truck, the F-150 Lightning, to look like its gas-powered sibling. The familiarity is a smart transition for Ford to convince current owners that it’s not renouncing its roots while attracting new buyers to the electric side.
Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO, displayed his usual exuberance for the upcoming Project T3. In the process, Farley borrowed the power of Han Solo and a legion of Jedi warriors.
“P.J. O’Rourke once described American pickups as ‘a back porch with an engine attached.’ Well, this new truck is going to be like the Millennium Falcon — with a back porch attached,” he said. “The manufacturing process will be equally breakthrough, with radical simplicity, cost efficiency and quality technology that will make BlueOval City the modern-day equivalent of Henry Ford’s Rouge factory.”
The aforementioned Rouge factory was converted into the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center within Ford’s historic Rouge Complex in 2021 and started production on the Lightning in 2022. The new plant, located northeast of Memphis, will be the second facility prepped for Ford's EVs.
Edmunds says
Ford's go-all-in approach may feel risky with an estimated $3 billion loss on the books this year, but it stands to lose much more if it doesn't show its EV strategy quickly. The new plant and upcoming all-electric pickup show that the automaker isn't backing down.
byKristin ShawKristin Shaw has worked in the automotive industry as a freelance writer since 2012. Her first review was about a Ferrari F430, which is a great place to start for a lifelong enthusiast. She has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the past decade, and some of her favorites include the C2 and C8 Corvette, Lamborghini Aventador S, BMW X5 and Toyota GR86. Her dream car is a restomod 1957 Chevy Bel Air in turquoise. She's competing in her first Rebelle Rally, an all-female off-roading competition, in the fall of 2022 in a lifted Hyundai Santa Cruz. Her work has also been seen in The Drive, AutoWise, GearJunkie, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes Wheels, Today, The Washington Post and more.
