Ford Motor said it views lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries as a long-term component of its electric vehicle strategy, with production set to begin in 2026 at its BlueOval Battery Park Michigan facility.
The company plans to use technology licensed from China’s CATL for the new plant, which will supply packs for a range of vehicles including a mid-size pickup. Ford already fits LFP batteries into the standard-range Mustang Mach-E crossover.
“And I do think LFP will be – it’ll be a bedrock,” Lisa Drake, Ford vice president, told the 2025 Jefferies Industrials Conference. “If you look globally at where LFP technology is used in chemistry, it’s used in auto, it’s used in energy storage, it’s now making its way into marine and in some cases aviation applications. So, I think it’s a tried and true and it’s here to stay.”
LFP cells offer lower costs, can be charged fully without accelerating degradation, and carry reduced fire risk compared with nickel-based chemistries, though they deliver less energy density.
Drake added Ford remains “flexible” on battery technology as the sector evolves, and said the company is evaluating the addition of more battery plants that could serve not only its vehicles but also energy storage projects.