Ford Gives Major Boost To Battery R&D

DEARBORN—Ford Motor Co. announced it would establish a new global battery “center of excellence,” to be called Ford Ion Park, to accelerate research and development of battery and battery cell technology, including future battery manufacturing.

“We’re already scaling production of all-electric vehicles around the world as more customers experience and crave the fun-to-drive benefits of electric vehicles with zero emissions,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer. “Investing in more battery R&D ultimately will help us speed the process to deliver more, even better, lower cost EVs for customers over time.”

The company is building on nearly two decades of battery expertise by centralizing a cross-functional team of 150 experts in battery technology development, research, manufacturing, planning, purchasing, quality and finance to help Ford more quickly develop and manufacture battery cells and batteries.

The Ford Ion Park team also is exploring better integration and innovation opportunities across all aspects of the value chain—from mines to recycling—working with all teams within Ford, including experts at Ford’s new Battery Benchmarking and Test Laboratory, Ford Customer Service Division, plus key suppliers and partners.

About the Author: Matt Roush

Matt Roush is Managing Editor of the University News Bureau and Director of Media Relations at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, and co-host of MITech TV with MITechNews founder and publisher Mike Brennan. Before joining LTU, Roush spent more than 30 years as a reporter and editor covering high tech, business, and local government for media outlets including WWJ Newsradio 950, Crain’s Detroit Business, the Kalamazoo Gazette, and the Traverse City Record-Eagle.