Ford plans to build EV battery plant in Michigan with Chinese partner

Ford Motor Co. and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. plan to build a battery plant in Michigan, capping a months-long search that became mired in geopolitical tensions between the US and China. "We've said that we're exploring batteries based on CATL's technology for Ford vehicles and that we plan to localize" production in North America, Ford said in an emailed statement. CATL, the world's biggest maker of batteries for electric vehicles, said in a statement that it has "Accepted Ford's invitation for collaboration in Ford's battery factory in Marshall, Michigan by providing services and knowledge for the construction and operation of the plant, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford.". Ford workers would build the batteries, while CATL owns the technology to create the cells, according to the people familiar. Whitmer has been fighting to attract more EV battery investment after losing out to Tennessee and Kentucky on Ford's historic $11.4 billion Blue Oval City investment in 2021. Ford announced in July it will begin using less expensive lithium iron phosphate battery packs from CATL on its Mustang Mach-E models this year and F-150 Lightning pickups in early 2024, which will boost output of those popular vehicles. Ford is investing $50 billion broadly to develop and build electric vehicles and plans to produce 2 million a year by the end of 2026.