The automaker Ford on Thursday announced the formation of a joint venture with South Korean group SK Innovation to manufacture electric battery cells and modules in the United States.
The objective of this new company, called BlueOvalSK, will be to produce around 60 gigawatt-hours per year from 2025, or even more thereafter, details a press release.
“This MoU is just the start; it’s a key part of our strategy to incorporate all of the key capabilities that will differentiate Ford in the future,” commented Ford CEO Jim Farley in the document.
Ford had already announced at the end of April the opening of a research center on electric battery cells, thus paving the way for in-house production of this key element.
As the race for the electric car intensifies in the United States, the manufacturer has recently gone on the offensive in this segment: it announced at the beginning of the year that it wanted to spend more than $ 22 billion on the production of vehicles. operating without fuel by 2025.
With this in mind, the company presented with great fanfare on Wednesday the electric version of its popular F-150 pickup, the best-selling vehicle in the United States.
“Ford is today one of the most active players in the electrification of vehicles. We are proud to open this new chapter in their long history,” said Kim Jun, CEO of SK Innovation, in the statement. .
The South Korean group reached an amicable settlement in April with compatriot LG Chem to settle a dispute in a lithium battery trade secret case launched in the United States in 2019.
This agreement notably allows SK Innovation to complete the construction of facilities in the State of Georgia.
The number one automobile manufacturer in the United States, General Motors, has also chosen to develop internal battery production.
In association with South Korean electronics group LG, GM has already committed to building a $ 2.3 billion battery cell plant in Lordstown, Ohio, which is expected to be completed in 2022.
And the two companies, united in the Ultium Cells joint venture, recently announced that they would invest an additional $ 2.3 billion in a second battery cell factory in the United States, in Tennessee, which is expected to open at the end of 2023. .
day / white / clp /
–
