U.S. automaker Ford Motor has appointed veteran executive Lisa Drake to head its newly created Ford Energy unit, tasking her with building a business focused on stationary battery energy storage systems as the company broadens its strategy beyond electric vehicles.
The move follows a major realignment announced in December, when Ford said it would overhaul its EV operations, including ending production of the F-150 Lightning and taking a $19.5 billion write-down. At the time, Chief Executive Jim Farley said the company would look to deploy its battery expertise in stationary applications such as energy infrastructure and data centres.
Drake, who has spent more than 30 years at Ford, most recently served as vice president of Technology Platform Programs and EV Systems, overseeing battery industrialisation and electric powertrain development. In her new role, she will lead Ford’s battery energy storage business end to end, covering battery cell manufacturing, system assembly and distribution.
“Lisa has deep expertise in scaling complex industrial systems and securing critical supply chains,” Ford Vice Chair John Lawler said, adding that her leadership would be key as Ford seeks to meet growing demand for large-scale battery storage that supports grid reliability and resilience.
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Drake said the new division would allow Ford to extract more value from its battery manufacturing base. “We’re building a business focused first on utility-scale battery energy storage systems for large customers, while also offering battery cells for residential energy storage solutions,” she said.
As part of the shift, Ford plans to repurpose its battery facility in Glendale, Kentucky, previously tied to a joint venture with South Korea’s SK On, to serve the fast-growing battery energy storage system (BESS) market. The automaker said it intends to invest around $2 billion in the new business over the next two years.
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The Kentucky site will be converted to produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic cells, battery storage modules and 20-foot DC container systems, with individual installations exceeding 5 megawatt-hours. Ford expects initial production within 18 months and is targeting annual installations of at least 20 gigawatt-hours of BESS capacity by the end of 2027.
The strategy comes amid broader changes in Ford’s battery partnerships. In December, SK On said it would dissolve its U.S. joint venture with Ford, citing weaker EV demand and the expiry of federal subsidies. Separately, the Wall Street Journal reported in January that Ford is in talks with China’s BYD about a potential partnership to supply batteries for hybrid vehicles.
The expansion into stationary storage highlights how legacy automakers are seeking alternative growth paths as EV adoption proves slower and more uneven than initially expected.
