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Ford, the American automaker, wants to boost its production of electric vehicles. To achieve this, it will invest 3.5 billion dollars in the construction of an electric battery factory with a Chinese partner.
Ford will found a new subsidiary entirely under its control, but with the help of the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) because the Chinese are ahead in the manufacture of batteries and electric vehicles. CATL is the world’s largest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, along with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution. It represents 30% of the global market and more than half of the market in Chinese.
In Michigan
The plant, which will be called BlueOval Battery Park Michigan, will be built in the State of Michigan, UNITED STATES, specifically in the city of Marshall. It will be operational in 2026. The decision to build on American soil is considered because to benefit from new aid from the American government, manufacturers must now manufacture the various elements in the country.
A total of 2,500 employees will produce batteries based on lithium, iron and phosphate to power 400,000 electric vehicles per year. These batteries are much more durable than those currently used by Ford, which are made from nickel, cobalt and manganese. They are also more economical, according to the group, because the materials used to make them are in less demand.
fifty billion dollars
More generally, Ford plans to invest $50 billion between 2022 and 2026 to electrify its range of vehicles. It aims to produce at a rate of 600,000 electric vehicles per year by the end of the year, and 2 million by the end of 2026. It is the second largest producer of electric cars in the United States, far behind Tesla.