Only a few months after saying a “radical” cut up construction inserting its electrical car future in a brand new section referred to as Mannequin E, Ford is discussing extra particulars about sourcing battery manufacturing capability and the essential uncooked supplies to energy all of these EVs. Its run fee by late 2023 might want to help the manufacturing of 270,000 Mustang Mach-Es, 150,000 Transit EVs, 150,000 F-150 Lightnings, and 30,000 models of a thriller all-new mid-size SUV destined for launch in Europe.
What it didn’t point out, nonetheless, is a report from Bloomberg on Wednesday indicating that the corporate is planning to put off as many as 8,000 individuals from the Ford Blue section that’s now accountable for its legacy inner combustion engine-powered companies.
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One a part of the plan revealed right this moment consists of updates for the batteries used within the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning EVs. It’s including lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP) made by Up to date Amperex Know-how (CATL) for the Mach-E in 2023, and the F-150 Lightning in 2024.
Ford says these will probably be out there alongside batteries with the present nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) chemistry, which is the same strategy to Tesla. In Tesla’s Q1 earnings report earlier this yr, the corporate stated “almost half of Tesla automobiles produced in Q1 had been outfitted with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, containing no nickel or cobalt,” together with most traditional vary automobiles. Ford will take the identical strategy by utilizing them for standard-range battery packs, enjoying to the strengths of the LFP batteries which are typically cheaper however aren’t as vitality dense.
Ford now says it has one hundred pc of the battery cell manufacturing capability wanted to construct 600,000 electrical automobiles and vehicles yearly by “late 2023,” with the brand new packs, in addition to doubled capability at LG Power Answer’s Wroclaw, Poland manufacturing facility and extra cell manufacturing capability from SK On.
Wanting additional down the highway to its goal of constructing 2 million EVs globally by later 2026, Ford introduced a separate non-binding MOU with battery big CATL to “discover a cooperation” for constructing batteries throughout China, Europe, and North America. That’s along with beforehand introduced battery crops in Kentucky and Tennessee, in addition to agreements with mining corporations to straight supply needed uncooked supplies, together with “many of the nickel wanted by means of 2026 and past.”
