The two companies intend to create nearly 11,000 jobs by opening assembly and battery plants in Stanton, Tennessee, and two additional battery factories in Glendale, Kentucky, as part of Ford's previously announced plan to spend more than $30bn between now and 2030 on electrification. Plants on both sites are slated to open in 2025.

Following the announcement - which represents the single-largest manufacturing investment in the company's 118-year history - Ford said that it expects to have 40 to 50 per cent of its global vehicle volume to be all-electric by 2030, up from its previous forecast of 40 per cent.

The Tennessee assembly and battery complex will be approximately three times the size of Ford's sprawling, century-old Rouge manufacturing complex in Dearborn, Michigan, said Lisa Drake, chief operating officer, Ford North American, speaking to Reuters. She emphasised that there will be further room to expand on that site.

"For us, this...