Ford will use new battery tech to assist it construct 600,000 EVs per yr | Engadget

Ford is refining its plans to develop EV manufacturing, and it’ll partly lean on new battery supplies to attain these objectives. The automaker now expects to hit a world manufacturing fee of 600,000 EVs per yr by late 2023 thanks partially to lithium iron phosphate battery packs in a few of its autos, beginning with Mustang Mach-Es bought in North America (in 2023) and F-150 Lightnings (in early 2024). The chemistry will develop Ford’s capability, permit for “many years” of use with little vary loss, minimize manufacturing prices and cut back the dependence on shortage-prone supplies like nickel.

At that 600,000-EV fee, practically half (270,000) of the autos produced shall be Mustang Mach-Es destined for China, Europe and North America. The F-150 Lightning in North America will account for 150,000 EVs, whereas the remainder embrace 150,000 electrical Transit vans and 30,000 models of a still-unnamed European SUV. Ford mentioned it has secured all of the yearly battery capability it must make this goal, and 70 % of the capability it wants to achieve a extra formidable goal of two million EVs per yr by late 2026.

The information comes simply hours after a report that Ford might minimize as much as 8,000 jobs to assist fund its EV plans. The model lately break up into combustion and EV divisions to assist with the electrical transition, and has dedicated to spending $50 billion on electrification.

Ford had floated the 600,000-EV manufacturing goal earlier than. However, the battery developments and narrower timeframe paint a clearer image of how that development will happen. As it stands, there’s mounting strain on the corporate to ramp up its manufacturing. It solely constructed 27,140 EVs in 2021, and has a big backlog — you may’t even place a regular retail order for the 2022 Mach-E “due to high demand.” To some extent, the improved scale is as a lot about catching up as it’s making ready for an all-electric future.