Ford starts the hard work of EV battery, raw-materials security

As it accelerates its shift to vehicle electrification, Ford confirmed in July that it has sourced the bulk of battery manufacturing capacity the company needs to meet its 2-millionplus global EV production target for 2026. It also confirmed “direct-sourcing” some crucial battery raw materials in strategically amendable locations that include the U.S., Australia and Indonesia.

In a significant supporting play to its materials-sourcing actions, Ford also announced it will begin offering lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in addition to their standard lithium-ion, nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) chemistry for the Mustang Mach-E and new F-150 Lightning (which is slated to make a big jump to production of 150,000 units for 2023). The Mach-E reportedly will offer LFP batteries by sometime in 2023 and the F-150 Lightning by early 2024.