Ford Scales Back $5.8B Kentucky Plant Just Months After Launch

Ford has scaled back production at its $5.8 billion BlueOval SK battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky, just months after the facility began operations.

The move affects roughly 1,600 workers and comes amid cooling demand for electric vehicles, raising new questions about the automaker’s EV expansion pace.

According to reporting, the plant adjusted output less than four months after products started rolling off the line in late 2025.

The facility is part of BlueOval SK, a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and South Korea–based SK On, created to power Ford’s next-generation electric vehicles.

Ford confirmed it is modifying production levels but has not announced a permanent closure.

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“We are aligning production with market demand,” a Ford spokesperson said in a statement reported by Reuters.

The development follows earlier announcements that Ford would moderate EV investment after inventory built up faster than consumer adoption in several segments.

In Kentucky, the scale of the investment — $5.8 billion — had been promoted as a major economic win, with state leaders previously touting long-term job growth.

Now, the speed of the production adjustment has drawn scrutiny over whether EV demand projections were overly optimistic.

Ford has maintained that its long-term electrification strategy remains intact, but analysts note that multiple automakers have recently slowed battery and EV capacity expansions.

It remains unclear how long the production shift will last or whether staffing levels will be permanently reduced.

For now, the Glendale facility stands as an early test of how quickly automakers can pivot when EV demand fluctuates.

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