US carmaker Ford is spinning a battery supply chain web to satisfy 600,000 EVs by late 2023 and more than 2 million by 2026, Kallanish reports. 

That 600,000 figure will necessitate about 60 gigawatt-hours of annual capacity, Ford notes. The company has sourced 70% of its 2m EV figure already, and aims to “localize 40 GWh per year of lithium iron phosphate capacity in North America in 2026.”

“Ford’s new electric vehicle line-up has generated huge enthusiasm and demand, and now we are putting the industrial system in place to scale quickly,” says ceo Jim Farley. “Our Model e team has moved with speed, focus and creativity to secure the battery capacity and raw materials we need to deliver breakthrough EVs for millions of customers.”

The 600,000 EV mark will include 270,000 Mustang Mach-Es in North America, Europe and China; 150,000 F-150 Lightnings in North America; 150,000 Transit EVs for North America and Europe; and 30,000 of an as-yet unannounced new SUV for Europe. 

Additional battery capacity will be added via organic growth and partnerships, Ford says. 

CATL will supply prismatic LFPs for the Mustangs and F-150 Lightnings. LG Energy Solution will also contribute NCM cells for the Mustangs and E-Transit vehicles, as will SK On. 

Ford has also inked raw material deals with Vale Canada, PT Vale Indonesia and Huayou Cobalt, as well as BHP, Liontown Resources, and Rio Tinto. 

Additional deals have been signed with EcoPro BM, SK On, ioneer, Compass Minerals, and Syrah Resources. 

EVs are clearly the future, and uptake is expected to skyrocket in the coming years as government initiatives, market forces, and pure customer choice angle away from traditional automobiles, Ford says. 

“It’s a very competitive landscape. These collaborators see value in the strong demand we have created with exceptional products like Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning and the stability we can bring to these relationships,” says Ford Model e vice president Lisa Drake. “We are excited to work with them – and others we haven’t yet announced – to build this new global supply chain for Ford.”