There may be an industry-wide slowdown in electric vehicle development due to slower-than-expected demand, but big advancements are still being made to make EVs more mainstream. GM’s cross-town rival Ford has some big things in the works regarding battery chemistry that could make the Blue Oval more competitive in the world of affordable EVs.
According to Ford Authority, the automaker expects to have production EVs with Lithium Manganese Rich (LMR) battery chemistry on the market as soon as 2027. Second-generation LMR battery cells are already in production as part of a pilot program. The goal of having an LMR battery-powered EV in production by 2027 coincides with the goals of Ford’s “skunkworks” affordable EV project, which first launched in 2022.
Ford’s electrified propulsion engineering director Charles Poon elaborates on the battery chemistry in an article posted to LinkedIn. He explains that LMR battery chemistry has three benefits: safety, energy density, and cost reduction. The Blue Oval has been talking for years about the importance of EVs being both affordable and profitable, and LMR chemistry could be what gets GM’s longtime rival to this goal.
“We’re targeting a cost significantly lower than current mid-nickel batteries,” Poon writes. “This breakthrough is critical to achieving true cost parity with gasoline vehicles and making electric vehicles accessible to more people.”
As for range and efficiency, “Our LMR boasts a higher energy density than even high-nickel batteries,” Poon writes. “This translates to greater range, allowing our customers to go further on a single charge and reducing range anxiety.”
Improving safety, range, and affordability is a win-win-win on paper for making EVs more practical and accessible. The real-world results of Ford’s experimentation with LMR battery chemistry remain to be seen, but if it delivers on its promises, it could mark a shift in widespread EV adoption.
Comments
InsideEVs notes that LMR has existed since the 1990s. The drawbacks include a sharp loss in voltage and capacity over time. Battery degradation is already a huge problem, which is why Ford is cautiously optimistic yet quiet about price and density. Nobody wants their car to lose its range after only a few years.
It’d be interesting to hear what the voltage and capacity loss on their mules so far. I have to imagine there are some Mach-E’s running around with these packs in them.