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Future Ford F-150 EV Assembly Plant Gets High Tech Equipment

Though production of the next-generation Ford F-150 EV – which may or may not be called the Ford F-150 Lightning, as is currently the case – was recently pushed back from 2025 to 2026, work at the wholly-owned facility where it will be produced – the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center – continues unabated. Aside from construction at the future site, suppliers are already beginning to join the fray, and now, the BlueOval City campus where the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center will be located has taken delivery of some high tech equipment, too.

Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center Ford BlueOval City Robotic Training Cells

That equipment includes robotic training cells, conveyors, paint spray booths, and stamping press lines, which employees will use to build the next-generation Ford F-150 EV when assembly lines come online in a couple of years. Prior to that, those same workers will train on machine vision systems for robot guidance and quality assurance, automated pick-and-place material handling, sealer and adhesive dispensing systems, and various automated mechanical joining technologies, among several other manufacturing processes.

In addition to that manufacturing equipment, the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center will also be a carbon-neutral manufacturing facility that will use new tech to capture and reuse heat from the site’s utility infrastructure and geothermal energy system to provide heat for the assembly plant. This is expected to save roughly 300 million cubic feet of natural gas, while a new utility system will also conserve approximately 50 million gallons of water each year. Additionally, the plan will lean on advanced systems that aim to limit emissions from painting operations that will help it meet air emissions limits that are the most stringent of any U.S.-based assembly plant at the moment.

Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center Ford BlueOval City Paint Shop

“We recognize the significance of farming, fishing, and hunting in West Tennessee,” said Blake Newbill, senior environmental engineer, Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center. “And we understand that part of being a good neighbor is caring for the air, water, and land, so these important resources are preserved for our community.”

We’ll have more on BlueOval City soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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Comments

  1. When Rivan has narrows it’s loss to $36,000 est per vehicle. Ford has raised losses to $100,000 per Lighting . Each unit not made is $100,000 PROFIT. Now that’s how you make money, RIGHT ? STOP the the line, when you learn how to make money start again.!!
    My Family’s Ford Dealerships over 55 years until the market changed — you lock the door and go home—-

    Reply
    1. These are 1st gen units. Lots of R&D being calculated in those #s. Ford also has without any doubt the best EV truck out there. Things will come together very soon in regard to costs. Rivian? Gimme a break . Without investment from Amazon & Ford among others they’d never exist . Facts.

      Reply
    2. What was the name of this “family” dealership? Not a good time to give it up. Ford has many hot selling models for good reason.

      Reply
  2. Shouldn’t that huge, flat roof be covered with solar panels? Not having to pay ~ 12 cents per kWh would bring production costs down, significantly.

    Reply

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