Ford introduced on Monday that it’s planning the set up of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries into its Mustang Mach-E beginning later in calendar 12 months 2023 and its F-150 Lightning in calendar 12 months 2024.
The shift will doubtlessly deliver decrease EV costs, though that may “depend on what happens with the market,” in line with Ford Mannequin E chief buyer officer Marin Gjaja.
The manager added: “The whole intent here is to make these more affordable and accessible.”
Mach-E Customary Vary will get LFP cells beginning later this 12 months, F-150 Customary Vary early subsequent 12 months—with the shift doubtlessly not occurring however a trim degree at a time. Prolonged Vary and something performance-oriented will stick with the present nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) chemistry that’s utilized in these fashions immediately.
From 2026, LFP cells for Ford merchandise will come from a Michigan battery plant established with expertise from China’s CATL. Within the meantime, cells for these merchandise are prone to come from certainly one of CATL’s crops in China.
Ford evaluating NCM and LFP battery sorts
Ford LFP battery advantages
Causes behind the shift to LFP
In a presentation Monday, Ford outlined a few of the causes behind the shift. LFP batteries have distinctive sturdiness, they usually may help strengthen the provision chain whereas utilizing fewer high-demand, high-cost supplies and mineral assets. Additional, they are often charged from 0% to 100% day by day—one thing that’s not really helpful for the NCM chemistries which can be at present used within the F-150 Lightning, Mustang Mach-E, and E-Transit if full vary isn’t wanted.
Ford additionally famous that due to these traits, LFP batteries are additionally a most popular selection for bidirectional charging, as is already supplied with an F-150 Lightning house energy backup system.
However, LFP cells are sometimes sluggish and slower to fast-charge on the coldest ambient temperatures. They’re additionally not the most effective decide for prime efficiency or the longest vary, partly as a result of they pack extra weight for a similar power; however as Ford emphasised within the technique under, it solely sees LFP batteries as primarily satisfying the fleet and entry-level portion of the market.
Ford multi-chemistry strategy for EV batteries
A unique sort of lithium-ion
As a subset of lithium-ion battery tech, LFP cells use lithium iron phosphate because the cathode and graphite because the electrode. These cells are far much less liable to the thermal runaway which may trigger fires or degradation from overheating, however a spread of sources now counsel they final considerably longer.
LFP cells aren’t depending on nickel and cobalt, two supplies which can be costly, supply-constrained, and a giant raise for the provision chain.
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s electrical autos are powered by LFP cells. The expertise, led by China’s BYD a decade in the past, has superior in its newest kind within the BYD Blade battery, whereas CATL can be a number one producer.
Ford evaluating battery kind components, in shift to LFP
Ford-CATL LFP prismatic cells for Mach-E, F-150 Lightning
Change in kind issue, too
The battery chemistry gained’t be the one factor that modifications in autos that make the shift to LFP, Ford executives famous. The battery kind issue might be completely completely different, too. These fashions will use prismatic cells versus the pouch cells utilized in present fashions; they usually’ll be bigger. Ford famous, at greater than double the capability in ampere-hours.
Meaning much less bussing between the cells themselves, which helps mitigate a few of the power losses from these much less energy-dense cells, Ford defined.
Ford didn’t clarify additional what this implies for the long run in precise pack format—or to what degree it doubtlessly means skipping modules or packs sooner or later. CATL, as an illustration, has what it phrases a “disruptive” water-cooling design that permits a cell-to-pack format with spectacular power densities to rival that of these dearer cell sorts.
2023 Ford F-150 Lightning
Knowledgeable by information and bottom-line price
The corporate did underscore that the shift to LFP cells was a part of a choice to diversify its battery choices to raised match product utilization and buyer wants.
Ford’s related car information crew has been learning aggregated, anonymized car information to grasp how its EVs are used. And from that, it discovered the common Mustang Mach-E driver sometimes goes simply 32 miles a day, with a visit distance averaging simply 5 miles at a time. Additional, 95% of Mach-E clients begin their journeys at ambient temperatures above freezing.
It says that it doesn’t have a full 12 months of information on F-150 Lightning use but, however it’s already seen that 89% of shoppers begin their journeys above freezing.
2022 Ford E-Transit
Ford didn’t verify that LFP batteries are additionally headed into its E-Transit supply vans quickly, however as its personal chart above confirmed, fleet autos appear to fulfill the profile of fashions which can be charged to 100% day by day.
