Mayor Says Ford F-150 EV Delay May Benefit For Nearby Town

Back in April of this year, The Blue Oval announced that production of the next-generation Ford F-150 EV – which may or may not continue to be called the Ford F-150 Lightning – was being delayed at the under-construction, wholly-owned BlueOval City Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center, from 2025 to 2026. At the time, the automaker said that this move was being made amid a shift in consumer demand, meaning that it felt like its resources were better served ramping up hybrid production amid growing sales in that segment. The next-generation Ford F-150 EV was subsequently delayed yet again this past August – to 2027 – but it seems as if at least one person doesn’t think this is a bad thing.

That person is Stanton, Tennessee Mayor Allan Sterbinsky, according to Commercial Appeal, who actually believes that this delay gives the small, rural town time to better prepare for an influx of people and new businesses. There’s quite a bit of infrastructure work that still needs to be completed in order to accommodate this massive growth, including adding and expanding existing roads, additional water and sewer lines, and renovating the town’s water and sewage treatment plant. By 2035, Stanton – which is 2.5 miles from BlueOval City – is expected to serve as the home to around 10,000 people, versus the 500 that live there today.

Ford’s decision to delay the next-generation F-150 EV this past time around stems from the fact that it wants to lean into lower-cost battery technology to make the pickup more affordable, which is also true of its entire all-electric vehicle lineup – boosting profitability at the same time. In the meantime, this delay gives developers time to not only complete necessary infrastructure projects, but also, build houses and retail storefronts, too.

“Those developers are recognizing the housing and potential development,” Sterbinsky said. “Those are the people who are taking the initiative to want to get on the ground floor. There is a lot of development in the works as well as a lot of tire kicking too, which is the way it should be. We expect housing development first followed by some retail and then it cycles to bigger subdivisions, retail and office space.”