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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe Ford-SK On battery breakup is complete. The BlueOval SK joint venture was dissolved on May 20, 2026, with Ford taking control of the two Kentucky battery plants and SK On separating the Tennessee facility into a standalone U.S. business.
Ford plans to retool the Kentucky operation for stationary battery energy-storage systems rather than primarily supplying Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles. SK On Tennessee remains focused on preparing its plant for future production, which SK On currently projects will begin in 2028. The split does not mean Ford has abandoned battery manufacturing or that SK On has left the United States.
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What changed on May 20, 2026?
Ford Motor Company and SK On no longer share ownership of BlueOval SK. At the closing of the disposition, Ford’s membership interest in the joint venture was redeemed, and Ford Energy Battery LLC acquired BlueOval SK’s interests in the two Kentucky plants. Ford was also released from its previous sponsor-support obligations to the joint venture.
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SK On retained the Tennessee operation. The following day, May 21, SK On announced that the site would operate as SK On Tennessee, a standalone SK On U.S. company. The plant had operated as part of BlueOval SK since 2023.
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In practical terms, the former partners divided the project rather than simply canceling it:
- Ford: Takes the Kentucky facilities and plans to convert them from an EV-battery project into a stationary energy-storage operation.
- SK On: Takes the Tennessee facility as an independent business and is preparing it for projected mass production in 2028.
- BlueOval SK: The shared ownership structure is over, but the plants, financing arrangements, and industrial projects continue under separate ownership.
What BlueOval SK was supposed to build
Ford, SK On, and SK Battery America, an SK On subsidiary, created BlueOval SK in 2022. The structure was effectively a 50/50 partnership between Ford and the SK side of the business. Its original purpose was to build and operate one battery plant in Tennessee and two battery plants in Kentucky to supply Ford and Ford-affiliated vehicles.
The overall project was initially presented as an approximately $11.4 billion U.S. battery investment. The capacity figures require some care because they refer to different scopes:
| Figure | What it described |
|---|---|
| Up to 86 GWh annually | The combined planned capacity of the twin Kentucky plants in Ford’s original description of Kentucky Battery Park. |
| More than 120 GWh annually | The Department of Energy’s description of the complete three-facility BlueOval SK project, including Tennessee and Kentucky. |
Those numbers should not be added together or treated as competing measurements of exactly the same facilities. The 86-GWh figure describes the two Kentucky plants, while the DOE’s more-than-120-GWh figure describes the entire three-plant project.
How the ownership and debt were divided
The separation agreement was signed on December 9, 2025, but it did not take effect until the transaction closed on May 20, 2026. That distinction matters: December marked the agreement, while May marked the completed change in ownership.
Ford’s closing disclosure says its obligation to contribute up to $6.6 billion to BlueOval SK through 2026 was terminated. Ford also assumed all obligations under an approximately $3.805 billion Department of Energy promissory note connected to the Kentucky plant that had received loan advances.
The replacement Ford DOE loan carries a stated interest rate of 4.814%. The payment schedule calls for interest-only payments through January 15, 2030, followed by principal-and-interest payments through July 15, 2040. The Kentucky assets remain subject to existing DOE liens.
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Ford had estimated in December 2025 that the restructuring would produce an approximately $3 billion pretax charge, reflecting its share of BlueOval SK’s long-lived-asset impairment and impairment of Ford’s remaining investment. That was an estimate disclosed in connection with the agreement, not a claim that the transaction cost exactly $3 billion in its final accounting.
What Ford plans to do with the Kentucky plants
Ford Energy says the Glendale, Kentucky, gigafactory is being renamed Ford Energy Systems. The facility is being retooled to make and assemble products for stationary battery energy storage, including:
- LFP prismatic battery cells;
- battery-storage modules; and
- 20-foot direct-current container systems.
Ford says products from the retooled operation are planned to become available beginning in late 2027. The intended customers are data centers, utilities, and large commercial and industrial users—not only automotive customers.
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LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, is a battery chemistry widely associated with stationary-storage applications because of its cost and durability characteristics. In this case, however, Ford’s announcement establishes the planned product direction, not a completed commercial launch. It does not establish final production volumes, named customer contracts, or a guaranteed late-2027 delivery schedule.
The strategic change is significant. The Kentucky plants were originally designed as part of Ford’s U.S. EV-battery supply chain. Ford now intends to use that manufacturing footprint for commercial battery storage serving electricity infrastructure, data centers, and large energy users. That creates a different business model, customer base, product mix, and launch timetable from the original Ford and Lincoln EV plan.
What happens to the Tennessee facility?
SK On Tennessee will operate independently under SK On. The company says its immediate focus is on strengthening operations, systems, processes, workforce development, and preparations for future mass production.
SK On projects that production at the Tennessee site will begin in 2028. The company identifies both electric vehicles and battery energy storage as potential markets for the standalone operation, but it has not announced a specific customer, final product mix, or confirmed production volume in the material supporting this article.
That makes 2028 a company projection rather than a guaranteed start date for commercial production. The plant’s eventual output could depend on demand, customer agreements, qualification work, financing, workforce readiness, and the broader EV and energy-storage markets.
Why did Ford and SK On split?
Ford’s 2025 annual-report disclosures describe the restructuring as part of a wider response to lower-than-anticipated industrywide EV adoption and changing investment requirements. Ford warned that a shift in strategy can lead to lower utilization, delayed launches, asset impairments, and continuing financial exposure.
The breakup therefore reflects more than a disagreement over one factory. It represents a shift away from a tightly coordinated Ford-SK On EV-battery buildout toward two separate strategies:
- Ford is prioritizing control and flexibility over the Kentucky assets. Rather than continue operating them inside a joint venture built around Ford EV demand, Ford is redirecting the plants toward energy-storage products and customers.
- SK On is retaining a Tennessee manufacturing base without Ford as a co-owner. The standalone structure gives SK On flexibility to pursue EV and stationary-storage opportunities, although the company still has to prepare the site for production.
- Both companies are reducing dependence on the original EV-demand assumptions. The new plans acknowledge that battery factories built for a fast-growing EV market may need different products or customers when vehicle adoption and investment plans change.
Does Ford’s move mean it is abandoning EV batteries?
No. Ford is abandoning the original shared ownership and intended use of the Kentucky project, not battery manufacturing altogether. Ford retained the two Kentucky plants and says it will manufacture LFP battery cells and energy-storage systems there.
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The change does mean that the Kentucky facilities are no longer being positioned primarily as a dedicated Ford and Lincoln EV-battery source. It also means the transaction, by itself, does not prove that Ford will use the retooled Kentucky operation for a particular future vehicle, battery pack, or model. Ford’s announced Kentucky plan is centered on stationary storage.
Does SK On still operate in the United States?
Yes. SK On Tennessee is now a standalone U.S. company under SK On, and SK On continues to identify other U.S. operations, including SK Battery America in Georgia. The BlueOval SK separation is therefore not a U.S. exit by SK On.
What the transaction means for the U.S. battery industry
The split preserves a large battery-manufacturing footprint while changing what that footprint is intended to produce. Kentucky is being redirected toward stationary storage, a market expected to serve grid operators, utilities, data centers, and large industrial customers. Tennessee remains an under-development battery site with a projected 2028 production start and a broader potential market covering both EVs and energy storage.
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It also illustrates the financial risk of large battery projects. BlueOval SK was launched with billions of dollars in planned investment and received a DOE loan arrangement authorizing up to $9.633 billion. The DOE closed that direct loan in December 2024. Ford’s 2026 filing reported subsequent advances totaling $7.83554 billion according to the filing.
After the breakup, federal support remains part of the story, but the obligations are no longer attached to the same shared corporate structure in the same way. Ford is taking on the disclosed Kentucky promissory-note obligations, while the Tennessee operation is being separated to SK On. The public information does not justify a broader claim about every liability or financing commitment tied to Tennessee.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Timeline of the Ford-SK On battery breakup
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 2022 | Ford, SK On, and SK Battery America completed creation of BlueOval SK to build one Tennessee and two Kentucky battery plants. |
| December 13, 2024 | BlueOval SK entered into the DOE loan arrangement, with authorized borrowing of up to $9.633 billion. |
| December 9, 2025 | Ford, SK On, SK Battery America, and BlueOval SK signed the Joint Venture Disposition Agreement. |
| December 2025 | Ford disclosed an expected pretax charge of approximately $3 billion related to the transaction and associated impairments. |
| May 20, 2026 | The disposition closed. Ford acquired the two Kentucky plants and assumed the disclosed Kentucky DOE obligation. |
| May 21, 2026 | SK On announced SK On Tennessee as a standalone U.S. company. |
| Late 2027 | Ford Energy’s stated target for availability of products from the retooled Kentucky energy-storage operation. |
| 2028 | SK On’s current projection for mass production to begin at SK On Tennessee. |
What remains uncertain
Several important details have not been established by the announcements and filings reviewed for this article:
- Ford has not provided final Kentucky production volumes for the energy-storage business.
- Ford has not announced the commercial customers that will purchase the Kentucky systems.
- The late-2027 Kentucky availability target is a plan, not a guaranteed launch date.
- SK On has not announced a confirmed Tennessee customer, product mix, or production volume.
- SK On’s 2028 mass-production date is a company projection, not a guaranteed commercial start.
- The public disclosures do not fully describe the post-closing allocation of every Tennessee-related DOE financing obligation.
For car buyers, the immediate takeaway is that this transaction does not by itself announce a new Ford EV, a cancellation of a particular Ford model, or a specific change to an existing vehicle’s battery supply. It is primarily a corporate ownership and manufacturing-strategy change, with the clearest announced product shift taking place in Kentucky—from EV batteries toward stationary energy storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Ford and SK On officially end their battery joint venture?
The BlueOval SK disposition closed on May 20, 2026. The agreement was announced and signed in December 2025, but the ownership change was not complete until the May closing.
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Who owns the former BlueOval SK battery plants now?
Ford Energy Battery LLC acquired BlueOval SK’s interests in the two Kentucky plants. SK On retained the Tennessee facility, which now operates as SK On Tennessee, a standalone SK On U.S. company.
What will Ford make at the Kentucky battery plant?
Ford Energy says the Glendale facility is being retooled as Ford Energy Systems to make LFP prismatic cells, battery-storage modules, and 20-foot DC container systems for stationary energy storage. Ford says availability is planned for late 2027, but final volumes and customer contracts have not been announced.
Is SK On leaving the United States?
No. SK On Tennessee is an independent U.S. operation, and SK On continues to identify other American operations, including SK Battery America in Georgia.
Will the Tennessee battery plant definitely begin production in 2028?
SK On projects mass production will begin in 2028. That is the company’s current target, not a guaranteed date, and SK On has not yet disclosed a final customer, product mix, or production volume for the standalone facility.
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Bottom line: Ford and SK On have completed their BlueOval SK separation, but the battery project itself has not simply disappeared. Ford now controls the Kentucky facilities and plans to convert them into an LFP-based stationary-storage business, while SK On is preparing the Tennessee plant for projected production in 2028. The deal changes ownership, products, and financial responsibility; it does not amount to Ford abandoning batteries or SK On abandoning the U.S. market.
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