Ford EV Plant In Michigan Remains On Track For 2026 Launch

Though it has faced its fair share of trials and tribulations over the past couple of years, the Ford EV battery plant known as BlueOval Battery Park Michigan continues to take shape, and was still repeatedly on track to begin producing lithium iron-phosphate batteries for all-electric vehicles starting in 2026 as of last summer. However, the future Ford EV plant has dealt with some new potential issues in the form of the possible elimination of the federal clean energy tax credit, coupled with concerns over CATL’s alleged ties with the Chinese military, as that company will be licensing LFP tech to Ford. Regardless, it seems as if nothing has changed, at least, as of now.

According to WWMT News, BlueOval Battery Park Michigan is still on track to begin building LFP batteries in 2026, and the site just hit a new milestone last December when the final steel beam was lifted into place. Now, construction has moved on to focus on multiple structures including the cell and pack plants. “Congratulations to everyone who helped to achieve this important milestone,” Scott Davis, CEO, BlueOval Battery Michigan, LLC, said. “This is a significant step that keeps us on track to begin production in 2026, and we are continuing to hire so that we can build the best possible team to lead this advanced manufacturing facility.”

Though Ford has scaled back the scope and investment in the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan plant – prompting the state of Michigan to dial back its own incentive packages for the site – the automaker still plans to open on time, and employ 1,700 workers when it does. This news is notable for a number of reasons, particularly the fact that Ford CEO Jim Farley recently stated that the plant is greatly dependent on the federal clean energy tax credit, which could be eliminated under President Donald Trump, though nothing has been announced as of yet.

Perhaps even more troublesome for Ford is the fact that the Department of Defense recently added CATL to its list of companies that it says work with China’s military via what’s formally known as the “Section 1260H list,” which could potentially impact battery production at the future site – prompting additional concerns from U.S. Senator Gary Peters.