It won’t be long before your favorite Ford dealership is full of advanced electric vehicle options. Sure, Ford already has several hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs on the market, but their lineup is about to change. You may have already heard of some upcoming Evs coming to a Ford dealership near you, like the 2022 Mustang Mach-E and the Ford Lightning pickup truck.
Ford recently announced a plan to invest $11.4 billion on new production plants across small-town America. Right now, there are 11,000 new jobs anticipated throughout Tennessee and Kentucky. This massive investment is going to help revolutionize the electric market.
Ford’s Evolution Turns Revolution
While automotive and production technology has grown immensely since the first Ford hit the street, it’s been more of a revolution. Henry Ford may not recognize some of the components and ideas going into new vehicles, but he would still recognize the industry as a whole.
With Ford’s commitment to harnessing the power of electricity, the industry’s future would be something completely new to our auto forefathers. One of the new plants, Blue Oval City, is planned for Stanton, TN. This $5.6 billion mega campus is going to be the production home of many new electric vehicles.
What makes this particular plan even more advanced is that it’s designed to be carbon neutral. Once it is fully operational, there should be no waste going to landfills.
Bringing Jobs Back
One of the reasons Ford decided to bring new plants to Kentucky and Tennessee is to help bolster American manufacturing. The US currently doesn’t have a large industry for producing batteries used in new EVs. Building these plants will give the US an edge and replace jobs lost in the coal industry.
Kentucky and Tennessee both have strong workforces who are willing to be trained for the new jobs. These are also right-to-work states, so employees are not required to join unions to keep their jobs.
Ford is also putting aside over $525 million to help train service technicians who will eventually work on these new batteries and motors. Workers in Texas alone will cost close to $90 million.
The Future Is Coming And Its Electric
As of right now, Ford expects nearly 40% of its vehicles to be electric by 2030. There will undoubtedly be some resistance to going electric from those who think gas is a more powerful option.
It won’t take long for drivers to see that EVs can offer perks that you can’t get on gas-powered vehicles. For example, power is more on-demand, which is why cars like the Mustang Mach-e can go from zero to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. The new Ford Lightning can even act as a generator for your home or worksite.
With the massive investment Ford is making into electricity, it’s clear that it is approaching EVs with open arms. It’s more than just adding vehicles to the lineup at your local Ford dealership, though. Ford is also bringing jobs and training to small towns all across the US.
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