Ford to build next-generation EV trucks on $5.6B Tennessee campus by 2025

Ford announced on Friday that its $5.6 billion Blue Oval City complex north of Memphis, Tennessee, will house a truck factory capable of producing 500,000 electric vehicles annually.

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In 2025, a next-generation electric truck with the codename Project T3 will roll off the production line.

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To achieve its target of selling 2 million EVs annually by 2026, BlueOval City, the center for its future EV and battery cell manufacturing, has been under construction since last fall.

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Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford, said in a statement that "Blue Oval City is the model for Ford's electric future worldwide. With a cutting-edge manufacturing facility that supports the environment, we'll create ground-breaking electric vehicles while balancing economic development and technological advancement with environmental advancement.”

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Unlike its existing electric vehicle, the F-150 Lightning, the T3, or Trust the Truck, will be a brand-new design. According to the company, the T3 will be a "software-defined" vehicle that supports over-the-air updates.

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In an effort to boost operating efficiencies—an area where Ford has struggled—the company is creating its second-generation EV truck alongside its brand-new assembly facility.

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The general assembly plant's footprint will be 30% lower than that of conventional factories while providing higher production capacity, according to the business. Also, starting when the plant opens, it will run on carbon-free electricity. Ford will provide carbon-free heat for the assembly plant using recovered energy from the site's utility infrastructure and geothermal system. According to the company, this move will prevent the yearly consumption of about 300 million cubic feet of natural gas required to heat facilities of similar size.

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On the 3,600-acre campus, further energy and water-saving technologies will be implemented, such as a zero-waste-to-landfill site built to utilize no fresh water for its manufacturing processes.