SK Innovation, the battery supplier for Ford’s F-150 Lightning, has confirmed that the fire incident that caused a production halt at the automaker’s Dearborn factory earlier this month was not due to a fundamental design flaw in the battery. The company stated that the incident was a rare occurrence and that it is implementing a fix to address the issue.
“We believe this was a rare occurrence, not a fundamental issue with the technology of the battery cells or our overall manufacturing systems… Working with Ford, SK On identified the root cause of the issue and implemented measures of improvement in our processes to address the issue,” it said in a statement to the Detroit News.
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SK Innovation worked closely with Ford to identify the root cause of the problem and has resumed battery production at its Georgia factory. This incident comes as the automaker invests $50 billion to develop and build 2 million battery-powered models per year by 2026, with the F-150 Lightning being its signature plug-in vehicle.
Despite the setback, both companies remain committed to their joint venture, with SK Innovation and Ford investing $11.4 billion to build three more battery plants and an electric F-Series assembly plant in Tennessee and Kentucky. Additionally, Ford announced plans to build a $3.5 billion battery plant in Michigan, utilizing technology from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology, the world’s largest EV battery maker.
The F-150 Lightning is an essential vehicle for Ford as it moves towards electrifying its lineup. The Dearborn factory, where the F-150 Lightning is produced, had been running seven days a week in an effort to increase production to 150,000 vehicles per year by this fall.
See also: Ford Extends Production Pause at F-150 Lightning Plant Following Battery Fire Incident
As the auto industry transitions towards electric vehicles, the importance of reliable and safe battery technology cannot be overstated. The collaboration between Ford and SK Innovation demonstrates the importance of finding solutions to these challenges and advancing the development of battery technology.
