Ford to stuff Mustang Mach-E with cheaper LFP-batteries

Ford is adding cheaper, more sustainable, and more durable LFP batteries to its EV line-up, starting with the Mustang Mach-E this year and expanding to the F-150 Lightning in 2024. The Blue Oval is also building a $3,5 billion LFP battery factory in Michigan by 2026 to reduce its dependence on external suppliers.

Lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, compared to the nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) batteries currently used by Ford, are a lithium-ion alternative that doesn’t rely on cobalt. The latter has become expensive and is often not mined ethically. It also adds durability, being more resistant to fast charging and giving a longer lifespan.

Lower price, lower capacity?

LFP batteries are also a bit cheaper than NCM batteries, which should translate into a lower price for the LFP-powered Mustang Mach-E coming this year, followed by the F-150 Lightning in 2024, and “a variety of affordable, next-generation Ford EV passenger vehicles and trucks under development”, according to Ford.

Ford doesn’t mention that LFP batteries have a lower energy density, which means they’ll either be heavier than the NCM batteries or offer a lower capacity to go along with their lower price. No news yet on the specifications of these LFP-powered models, however.

Ford is also investing heavily in its own LFP battery production with a $3,5 billion plant called BlueOval Battery Park, opening in Michigan in 2026, with CATL as a technical partner. This should further lower the cost of these LFP battery packs for Ford and allow the manufacturer to build more EVs to make them more profitable.