A month after announcing that it was halting EV battery manufacturing and switching to energy storage production, Ford appointed Lisa Drake as the New President of Ford Energy on Tuesday.
Drake will take on the role “effective immediately,” according to the company.
The launch of the new Detroit automaker’s new battery energy storage systems (BESS) business unit will be handled by the executive.
The new subsidiary aims to “leverage Ford’s battery expertise and US manufacturing footprint,” the company said.
Reporting to Ford‘s Vice Chair John Lawler, the executive will manage all of Ford Energy’s end-to-end operations, spanning battery cell production, system assembly, and sales, as well as its future leadership team.
Lawler highlighted Drake’s “deep expertise in scaling complex industrial systems and securing critical supply chains” for commanding the new unit.
“Her leadership is essential as we stand up Ford Energy to capture the growing demand for reliable battery energy storage that supports grid stability and resilience for utilities and large energy users,” he stated.
Drake stated that the Energy subsidiary allows Ford to “maximize the value of [its] battery manufacturing capabilities.”
The executive reaffirmed the new venture’s focus on both commercial and residential markets.
“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 stated.
Lisa Drake’s Career
Drake has been with Ford since 1999, accumulating more than two decades of experience.
In that year, she was an engineer in the Product Development team, where she was for nearly ten years, until 2008.
Between 2008 and 2011, the new executive became Chief Engineer Hybrid/Battery Electric Vehicles, while also serving as Chief Engineer of Lincoln’s Whitespace compact utility from 2010 to 2013.
Between 2013 and 2017, Drake was Ford‘s Global Purchasing Director.
In 2017, she was appointed Vice President of Global Powertrain Purchasing and Operations, a role she held until 2020, when she was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Ford‘s North American division.
Between March 2022 and now, Drake was the Vice President of Technology Platform Programs and EV Systems.
The new promotion comes nearly a week after the Detroit automaker’s Europe division named Christian Weingaertner the new General Manager of Passenger Vehicles, effective on the first day of February.
BlueOval SK
Last August, Ford announced that it would start manufacturing electric vehicle LFP batteries at its Louisville Assembly Plant, through its joint venture with Korean manufacturer SK On — BlueOval SK.
However, in the last month of 2025, the company decided to halt the operations at the joint facility from February 14.
It was part of a $19.5 billion impairment reported by the company as it shifted its EV business strategy.
As a result, nearly 1,600 jobs (the entire workforce) in Kentucky were cut.
Ford will retool the facility to accommodate energy storage production, which is expected to take approximately 16 months.
The plant is not expected to begin operations until 2027.
Ford US Sales
In its domestic market, Ford sold a total of 2.2 million vehicles last year, a 6% growth compared to 2024.
With its US market share rising by 0.6 percentage points to 13.2%, the automaker remained the best-selling truck manufacturer in the country.
Last quarter, the company registered 545,216 units across all powertrains. EVs accounted for 14,513 vehicles, representing only roughly 2.7%.
Fully electric figures halved from the 30,176 units registered a year ago.
