3,600-acre “mega campus” will also include parts suppliers
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Transportation will be in the driver’s seat for rail traffic related to Ford Motor Co.’s massive new electric vehicle and battery plants planned for sites in Tennessee and Kentucky.
This week Ford announced it would develop a 3,600-acre mega campus called Blue Oval City northeast of Memphis. The facility will build the next generation of F-series battery-electric trucks and, in conjunction with SK Innovation, make batteries for electric vehicles. As one element of a plan to make the $5.6 billion campus carbon neutral, parts suppliers will be located on site to reduce the need for transportation.
CSX serves the site in Stanton, Tenn., which spans 6 square miles and is sandwiched between the railroad’s Nashville-to-Memphis main line and Interstate 40.
In Glendale, Ky., alongside Interstate 65 and CSX’s main line linking Louisville and Nashville, Ford and SK Innovation will build BlueOvalSK Battery Park to produce batteries for electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles. The $5.8 billion facility will span 1,500-acres on property CSX designated a megasite in 2010.
The Tennessee and Kentucky plants are expected to begin production in 2025, with a combined 11,000 new jobs. Ford’s investment – the largest ever in the U.S. for electric vehicles – is part of its plan to sustainably mass-produce affordable battery-powered vehicles. Ford expects up to half of its vehicle production to be electric vehicles by 2030.
“We’re excited to see innovative industrial development continue to gain momentum in Tennessee. As the most fuel efficient railroad in the U.S. and the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation on land, CSX welcomes Ford Motor Company to the Memphis Regional Megasite, and salutes their landmark investment for a more sustainable future,” the railroad said in a LinkedIn post.
A CSX spokeswoman was unable to provide a statement about the new Ford plants or how much traffic they might generate for the railroad.
