Ford is making strides in employee training for BlueOval City, particularly for the electric vehicle (EV) assembly plant in Tennessee. The automaker plans to start hiring for BlueOval City in 2025 and deliver customer orders by early 2026. Kel Kearns, the Plant Manager of Ford’s Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at BlueOval City, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome from the West Tennessee community. Ford aims for residents in the region to benefit from the creation of BlueOval City, reflecting the company’s historical contribution to the American middle class.
At the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, Ford’s BlueOval City employees will undergo training through the BlueOval Learning initiative, which offers both online and classroom-based training. This will equip them with the necessary skills to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot equipment specific to their roles. The Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center assembly plant has been equipped with advanced technology, including robotic training cells, conveyors, paint spray booths, and stamping press lines. Employees will learn to operate machine vision systems for robot guidance and quality assurance, automated material handling, as well as sealer and adhesive dispensing systems.
BlueOval City is the result of a $5.6 billion investment by Ford and SK On in West Tennessee. The construction of BlueOval City began in 2022, with plans for the production of batteries and the successor to the all-electric truck, the Ford F-150 Lightning. There is also anticipation around Ford’s development of a next-generation electric full-size pickup truck, as hinted by CEO Jim Farley in February 2023.