Ford Motor Company is set to lay off around 1,600 employees at its BlueOval SK battery manufacturing site in Hardin County, Kentucky, as the automaker reworks its electric vehicle strategy and shifts focus toward energy storage technologies.
The layoffs will impact the BlueOval SK facility in Glendale, a high-profile joint venture that was initially developed as a key pillar of Ford’s electric vehicle expansion in the US. Local authorities confirmed that the job cuts are part of a broader transition phase at the site. County officials are reportedly coordinating closely with Ford and state agencies to support affected workers and provide access to re-employment resources.
While the immediate impact on jobs is significant, the company has indicated that the Glendale facility will play a different role going forward. Ford plans to take direct control of the plant and begin a retooling process aimed at serving emerging energy storage markets. The automaker is expected to invest close to $2 billion over the next two years and has signalled that the revamped operation could eventually generate more than 2,000 new jobs.
The transition period, however, is expected to take time. Local estimates suggest the retooling phase could last up to 18 months, though no official timeline has been confirmed. During this period, production is expected to shift toward lithium iron phosphate battery technology, which is widely used in large-scale energy-storage applications such as data centres, utilities and commercial infrastructure.
The developments in Kentucky come as Ford reassesses its electric vehicle investments amid slowing EV demand and evolving policy conditions. The company has also announced production pauses and restructuring efforts at other manufacturing sites across the US.
