Ford has officially confirmed the signing of an agreement with Korean LG Energy to launch a new joint venture with which they will build and operate a huge battery factory in Europe.
This is an important contract that will mean starting up one of the largest facilities in the old continent for the production of batteries. A true gigafactory that will be located on the outskirts of the capital of Turkey, Ankara, from where it will export its production to Europe.
This project is one of the pillars of Ford’s plan to become a 100% electric brand by 2035, and have a family of 9 electric cars in its offer by 2024.
The factory will come into operation in 2026 and will have a capacity of 25 GWh, around 450,000 battery packs per year, although it will have the possibility of expanding this figure if demand requires it up to 45 GWh, which it would allow Ford to obtain about 750,000 60 kWh packs each year.
Now Ford is also preparing to launch cars that will carry these batteries, and after the Mustang Mach-E, Mach-E GT, and E-Transit, Ford will add three other new electric ones, including at least one electric crossover built in Volkswagen’s MEB platform, plus four new commercial vehicles for Europe.
Some additions that, according to Ford’s expectations, will lead them to produce some 2 million electric cars and industrial vehicles by 2026, something that will make it essential to gain access to a volume of batteries robust enough to avoid bottlenecks.
According to Ford: ” Increasing production is a key part of the Ford+ Plan, underscoring the company’s commitment to lead the electric vehicle revolution by increasing the value of its electric vehicles for customers and continuing to position the Mustang Mach- E as an attractive option for those looking for an electric SUV. Ford has secured the batteries and raw materials to scale the production of all these models. »
