NATIONAL NEWS – Ford announces $2 billion investment in Louisville plant for affordable EV car production

Ananya Roy, News Writer

Ford announced Monday that it will invest $2 billion to retool its Louisville, Kentucky, assembly plant for the production of more affordable electric vehicles, marking a major step in its new “Universal EV Program.” The move builds on $3 billion already committed to a battery park in Michigan, with the two projects together expected to create or secure nearly 4,000 jobs. Ford CEO Jim Farley said the initiative tackles “a very hard challenge” of designing EVs that are affordable yet deliver on design, innovation, flexibility, space, driving experience, and cost of ownership, all built by American workers.

The Louisville facility will secure about 2,200 jobs, though its workforce will shrink by roughly 600 positions after the plant is converted for EV production. The first vehicle under the program will be a midsize, four-door electric pickup priced at around $30,000, comparable to the historic Model T when adjusted for inflation, with production slated to begin in 2027. The trucks will use lithium iron phosphate batteries assembled in the U.S., avoiding reliance on Chinese imports.

Farley described the project as Ford’s “next Model T moment,” positioning it as a bold response to intensifying global competition from Chinese manufacturers like BYD, emerging startups, and tech companies entering the auto market. He said the goal was to take a “radical approach” to developing low-cost EVs that could compete worldwide while keeping production rooted in the U.S. The investment underscores the automaker’s bet that affordability will be the key to mass EV adoption in the years ahead.