Ford doesn’t plan, at least initially, to get into the lithium-ion battery business, executive chairman Bill Ford has said.
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“We don’t have any particular battery expertise and we are very happy with the suppliers we are working with,” he told the Detroit Free Press. “I think we should probably stick to the vehicle integration piece, which is what we do best.”
Ford’s stance contrasts with that of crosstown rival General Motors, which announced plans this month to open a battery pack assembly plant in Brownstown Township.
Ford is, however, partnering with Magna International for battery assembly and has named UK-based Smith Electric Vehicles and Johnson Controls-Saft as lithium-ion battery suppliers for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
It is launching an all-electric Transit Connect van in the US next year. The Turkish built van has a Smith-developed battery-powered drivetrain.
