GM continues to make big strides in the EV space, but crosstown rival Ford isn’t slowing down either, recently announcing that in will construct a new $3.5 billion battery plant in Marshall, Michigan.
Ford Mustang Mach-E
Dubbed the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, the new $3.5 billion plant is part of Ford’s larger $50 billion global push into all-electric vehicles through 2026. When it hits full-scale production in 2026, the new Ford battery plant is expected to create 2,500 new jobs and will add roughly 35 gigawatt hours (GHw) of LFP battery capacity to Ford’s EV production, or roughly enough capacity to power 400,000 new EV units. Ford says it also has the option to grow battery capacity at the new plant even further, if needed.
Ford hopes to deliver 600,000 EVs globally by the end of the 2023 calendar year, and 2 million units globally by the end of 2026.
Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford addresses a crowd during the battery plant announcement.
“We are committed to leading the electric vehicle revolution in America, and that means investing in the technology and jobs that will keep us on the cutting edge of this global transformation in our industry,” said Ford executive chair, Bill Ford. “I am also proud that we chose our home state of Michigan for this critical battery production hub.”
The new battery plant will focus on a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, as compared to Ford’s current nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) chemistry. Ford claims to be the first automaker committing to build both and NCM and LFP batteries in the U.S., a move that will help it bring EVs to scale and diversify its supply chain.
Ford Motor Company President and CEO Jim Farley addresses a crowd during the battery plant announcement.
LFP batteries are considered highly durable and require fewer high-demand, high-cost materials to produce compared to NCM batteries. LFP batteries also provide faster charge times.
The first Ford vehicle to equip the new LFP batteries will be the Ford Mustang Mach-E, with a variety of next-gen Ford EV passenger vehicles and pickups to follow, including the F-150 Lightning in 2024.
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Comments
LFP is supposed to be a cheaper battery material, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to lower prices. Ford admitted this year that they don’t anticipate Mach-E profitability until 2026.
This is a solid move by Ford as they will own the plant and are licensing CATL’s LFP battery production tech. LFP is roughly 40% cheaper than NMC batteries (commodity wise), but with less energy density requiring a bigger battery for an equivalent range which adds weight. But LFP batteries are safer and allow for continuous 100% charging. Cold weather range loss for LFP batteries is significantly worse than NMC. I would expect Ford to use the LFP batteries in its lower end models, while saving NMC batteries for longer range, higher trim versions similar to what Tesla does with the Model 3.
They won’t own the plant. It’s a CCP company who will own it and supply ford. Originally they wanted to build it in Virginia but Glen Youngkin said take your communism elsewhere
I am wondering when the automakers will start matching motors and batteries to what peop,e really need.
Not every EV needs to do 0-60 in 2 seconds.
Smaller batteries and smaller motors can still deliver 0-60 in 5 and bring good range at a lower cost.
Soccer moms are not in that big of a hurry.
Soccer moms don’t drive Mustangs. They drive Explorers or Transits and Ford will make both as electrics.
You’ve never been nearly run off the road by a soccer mom in a Honda Odyssey? They’re always in a hurry.
Especially in Aldi’s parking lots. A lot of very sloppy driving there.
No BEV does 0-60 in 2 seconds
-Tesla plaid was tested on a prepped drag strip
-WTF mode requires a precook cycle to do its 3.5 second sprint, or basically it’s 0-60 in 33 seconds.
The true off the line race where you pull up to a stop light and go they manage 0-60 in the 4’s and 5’s, which if I was legally allowed to add NOS to a mini van I could do. The reason they do these sprint times is to detract from poor range, track times and payload. It’s also cheap and easy to add a couple capacitors to be the EV equivalent of NOS. These really aren’t performance vehicles.
I wonder if they could put both NMC and LFP batteries in the same vehicle to get the features of both. ??? Might be charging issues involved . : (. ????
Nowhere in the article does it mention that they are partnering with CHINA to produce these batteries. Wake up America and don’t allow Ford to do that. Boycott FORD until they drop CHINA from this venture.
When I replace my truck or any of my vehicles, there’s one manufacturer that I won’t be shopping and that is Ford/Lincoln. People don’t understand what it is to have your enemy investing in your country. They need to read the story about the Trojan horse.
The article staes that Ford is building this plant withCATL, which is a Chinese company. Joint partnerships with other automakers and other entities around the globe have been common for many years now. It’s being built and operated in Michigan. If U can’t beat ’em, join ’em. ( We can beat ’em; we just haven’t been trying to in the past; that’s changing now. ).
John, would you recommend that we go into a partnership with Iraq? How about Iran? Maybe Russia? Plenty of enemies out there that would like to have access to the latest technology and learn our manufacturing secrets in order to copy them and undercut our pricing since they don’t have to spend for Innovation. China is our enemy, not a friendly, corporate ally.
Sorry but I reread the article and don’t see anything about CATL. They neglected to say anything about China.
Heard on the news this morning that Ford has stopped production of its Lightning pickup due to, wait for it, battery issues.
I just want to know where we will plug in all theses EVs. 2nd question is when our antiquated grid will collapse from all these vehicles plugging up? And 3rd when will the government force all the coal, oil, and natural gas power generating plants to shutter when they cannot keep up with demand now? Can you spell California (with brownouts and blackouts occurring now) Then add on all the totally electric vehicles which they demand since ICE vehicles will be forbidden to be sold there by law and the collapse of the system is inevitable. These idiots must let technology, and infrastructure catch up first. Hybrids first and gradual change as power grid is able to upgrade to support total EVs. Imagine running out of juice in the Rockies or remote North Dakota and not a charger to be found. Or the gridlock on an Interstate highway at a rest stop pulling in and waiting 2hrs to recharge!!! We are decades away from there!!!
#1 you’re so used to filling up on the corner you can now “recharge” At home isn’t that nice. #2 plenty of solar farms not ending anytime soon. I promise the sun will rise you now get to recharge at the bank, grocery store, church wherever there’s a plug. #3 California has blackouts because it’s 50% desert that’s why people like to live there because it hardly rains. + the electrical companies haven’t improved old wiring which causes fires. I don’t know why we don’t trench grids against weather and that goes for every state. No reason for 20 foot wood poles carrying live wires
you got a 50 mile long extension cord when you are in the middle of nowhere and no plug in sight. You sound just like those greenhead anti fossil fuels tree huggers that have no sense of the real world. gasoline /electric hybrids are more practical in real world situations. And for your information solar farms cause massive erosion problems and waste valuable agricultural farm land. So you starve to death while you drive your clean energy vehicle and watch bald eagles whacked by wind farms. And the sun does not shine all the time and the wind doesn’t blow all the time, unless you can assemble hordes of Democrat politicians full of hot air to stand in front of the propellers. I don’t feel like standing around for 2 hrs. in -40 temps in a blizzard to charge a Chinese slave labor made battery. You will think differently when you have no car, ride a bicycle and salute the new communist dictator who will rule this country! They will own this country and you will obey them or be killed.<
Hi Claude, do you wait to charge your phone at work or at home? Does your phone take about an hour to charge or does it run on gasoline? Solar farms would never encroach on agriculture farms primarily in the desert or on your very own roof. True it isn’t sunny everyday but have you ever heard of battery storage? Do you enjoy paying your utility every month when your electric bill comes? If if you go Solar I can guarantee you will be sticking it to your utility because your bill is reduced to $20/month in connection fee. General Motors, Hyundai and Tesla would be happy that you go off grid if you really wanted to be independent but I can see you would rather be stubborn and fear tomorrow.
I fear people who think like you today. You speak of burying all power lines nationwide. You have no concept of the millions of miles of wire it would require and the cost would be astronomical. And if there were an earthquake that severed the lines you would have no clue where to start looking for the break. You must be independently wealthy to afford solar for your home. Do you not know most panels are made in China as are the windmills. You support the red terror. I would rather support our domestic oil and gas production which we have plenty of and tell the communist Chinese to kiss off. I will keep driving past you when run out of charge and are sitting there with your Tesla and I stop for only 5 min to fill up and keep going. Do you fly on a commercial airline which uses K1 kerosene, or do you get in your hot air balloon for air travel? Batteries use lithium and cobalt and the dust from mining it kills children who breathe the dust. It was on the news about people who are too poor, and must resort to this practice to survive. You are not a realist but live in your own little dream world.
“The millions of wires” You mean the same wires we already have and use today I’m just saying trench the current wires and no storm could “knock down lines”. I dont know why you think I’m rich because I have solar which I lease for 48/month. The utilities should pay for trenching themselves do you disagree with that? Panels like qcell and LG are Korean and Silfabs are Canadian. Tesla panels are made in Buffalo NY dummy. You sound so uneducated it’s time to learn about todays world boomer you can’t keep living in an alternate timeline. I’m pretty sure child labor is illegal anywhere so what other “facts” is on your mind? Did you get left behind in the coal mines too?
Sorry, TESLA IS NOT making roof panels here in Buffalo. The market is dead for them. they have moved on to making parts for TESLA here.
I hope you know Hyundai home General Motors home and tesla all have solar panels to sell you so if you love GM as much as you are here maybe you should be open minded instead of fearful