I visit our battery plants regularly, and today I was excited to see the progress at Ford’s BlueOval Battery Park Michigan.

The team is on track with the build-out of the structure, which is complete, and major process mechanicals, electrical and piping are well underway. Our state-of-the-art lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cell production equipment is already operational, producing C-sample cells at our equipment supplier location off-site.

Having this work done and team members trained in parallel speeds up the commissioning process once the equipment arrives at the new plant in Marshall, Michigan. These C-sample cells (the last prototype cells before production readiness) will soon be used for design-confirmation sign-off in our next-generation electric vehicle program.

After the equipment is installed in the plant, we can effectively seal off areas of the facility and — using strict protocols — we can transition in stages to "clean room" status. This makes it an opportune time to see the cutting-edge factory — which spans almost a mile long — taking shape.

“We remain on track to start production of these batteries next year.”

Lisa Drake, vice president, Technology Platform Programs and EV Systems

This facility represents a historic step: An American automotive company is manufacturing — without relying on a foreign joint venture — LFP battery cells and battery packs domestically with American workers for American-assembled next-generation electric vehicles. We remain on track to start production of these prismatic LFP batteries next year.

Our ambition for vertical integration in the right places within our battery supply chain remains a key priority and is critical for future success. The scale of the facility is also key to unlock the cost benefits. We are bringing home to the U.S. the innovation that escaped our industry decades ago, and the result is we will not have to rely on imports in a continually changing global trade environment.

For our customers, we’re focused on delivering increased value at a lower cost. Regardless of battery chemistry, we are innovating to enhance safety, energy density and charging times, while simultaneously working to drive down cost to offer more affordable electric vehicles. LFP chemistry is generally considered the lowest-cost technology for automotive application currently available, which is why BlueOval Battery Park Michigan is strategically important.

To really deliver truly affordable electric vehicles to our customers, we made a decision years ago to fully invest in a new facility with world-class LFP production technology installed in the U.S. for the first time — wholly owned and operated by Ford. This allows us to integrate cutting-edge innovation while building expertise and retaining control that will lay the foundation for future battery manufacturing in the U.S. — allowing the U.S. to finally build LFP batteries at scale and pave the way to compete globally on energy storage production.

Ford has invested $3 billion in BlueOval Battery Park Michigan. We’re excited that we will welcome around 1,700 people to this team — American jobs in the heart of Michigan.

Come join us.

Lisa Drake is vice president, Technology Platform Programs and EV Systems.