Hope for BlueOval City remains high amid waning EV demand
Stanton Mayor Allan Sterbinsky, right, said his town remains enthusiastic about the BlueOval City. Haywood County Mayor David Livingston and Sterbinsky pose for a portrait at a fire station in BlueOval City in 2021. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)
Setbacks, waning consumer demand and weakening government support have created uncertainty about the future of the electric vehicle industry, but the West Tennessee communities near BlueOval City remain hopeful.
Ford’s $5.6 billion, 3,600-acre mega campus covers nearly six square miles in rural Haywood County, less than an hour northeast of Memphis.
The automaker planned to start assembling its electric truck in 2025, but announced in August that it was delaying production until the second half of 2027.
Stanton, a town in Haywood County with 500 residents, is the nearest community to BlueOval City. Despite Ford’s delays, Stanton Mayor Allan Sterbinsky said his town remains enthusiastic about the project.
Topics
Ford Motor Co. BlueOval City automakers BlueOval SK Stanton TN Allan Sterbinsky Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
Subscribers to The Daily Memphian help fund our not-for-profit newsroom of nearly 40 local journalists plus more than 20 freelancers, all of whom work around the clock to cover the issues impacting our community. Subscriptions - and donations - also help fund our community access programs which provide free access to K-12 schools, community organizations, and more. Thank you for making our work possible.
Aisling Mäki
Aisling Mäki has been writing about Memphis since she moved to the city more than 20 years ago. She’s worked for print, digital and broadcast news outlets, including Memphis Daily News and Action News 5 (WMC), as well as public relations agencies. Her work has earned awards from The Associated Press, Tennessee Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and Public Relations Society of America.
Business - Ford Megasite on demand
Sign up to receive Business - Ford Megasite stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.