{"id":2105097,"date":"2023-11-21T15:55:01","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T20:55:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ford-dramatically-downsizes-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-plans-amid-lagging-sales\/"},"modified":"2023-11-21T15:58:06","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T20:58:06","slug":"ford-dramatically-downsizes-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-plans-amid-lagging-sales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ford-dramatically-downsizes-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-plans-amid-lagging-sales\/","title":{"rendered":"Ford Dramatically Downsizes Electric Vehicle Battery Plant Plans Amid Lagging Sales"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fford-dramatically-downsizes-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-plans-amid-lagging-sales%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2105097&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Ford Resumes Construction on Michigan Electric \u2064Vehicle Battery \u200cPlant, but with Downsized \u200dPlans<\/h2>\n<p>Ford Motor Co. is reviving its plans for a Michigan electric vehicle battery\u200c plant that\u2062 was put\u200c on hold during a\u2062 strike \u200dby\u200c the United Auto Workers union. \u2064However,\u2064 the automaker has decided to scale back the factory size \u200cdue to slower electric vehicle sales \u2063growth. This means that the number of planned \u200djobs will be\u2063 reduced by\u2062 about one-third, from \u20642,500 to 1,700, and the annual \u200dbattery cell output will drop from\u2062 enough for 400,000 vehicles per \u200dyear to about 230,000.<\/p>\n<p>The plant, originally estimated to cost $3.5 billion, was halted in September\u200d during \u200cthe strike. Now, \u200bwith the strike resolved, Ford has \u200creevaluated its growth forecasts for electric\u2064 vehicle\u200d sales and decided to move forward with the plant. The facility, located in Marshall, about\u2062 100 miles west\u2064 of Detroit, will open in 2026 and produce batteries \u200cwith a lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry, which is cheaper than the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ford-dramatically-downsizes-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-plans-amid-lagging-sales\/\" title=\"Ford Dramatically Downsizes Electric Vehicle Battery Plant Plans Amid Lagging Sales\">current nickel-cobalt-manganese \u2063chemistry<\/a> used \u2064in many\u200d EV\u2062 batteries.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike Ford&#8217;s other battery\u200d plants, which\u2064 are joint \u200cventures, the Marshall factory will be \u2062a fully owned \u2063subsidiary staffed by Ford workers. However, China&#8217;s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. \u2064(CATL) will\u200c supply technology, equipment, and workers. The scaled-back plant&#8217;s cost has not been disclosed.<\/p>\n<h3>Slower Electric Vehicle Sales\u200b Growth<\/h3>\n<p>While U.S. electric vehicle sales\u200d are still growing, the rate has slowed compared to last \u200cyear. Automakers are \u200bconcerned that this trend will continue as \u200dconsumers have reservations about travel range and the \u200davailability of charging stations. Despite\u2064 this,\u200d Stacey LaRouche, press secretary for Gov. \u2064Gretchen Whitmer, sees the downsized plant as a positive development for \u2062Michigan&#8217;s economy, bringing \u20621,700\u2063 new jobs and billions of dollars in investments \u2064to the state.<\/p>\n<p>Ford&#8217;s decision to \u2062downsize the\u2063 Michigan plant is \u200dpart of \u200ba larger \u2063strategy to\u200c adjust \u200dto the slower \u2062growth in electric vehicle \u2064sales. The company has\u200b delayed\u200c plans for a joint-venture EV battery factory\u2063 in Kentucky and is also reducing Mustang Mach-E production and \u200ddelaying other EV spending. However, Ford remains optimistic \u200cabout the future of EVs.<\/p>\n<p>Although sales\u200d of Ford&#8217;s Mustang\u200d Mach-E electric SUV have struggled this year, \u2063the\u200c F-150 Lightning electric \u2062pickup has seen a\u200c 42.7 percent increase in sales. Despite this positive news, \u2062Ford&#8217;s shares fell just over\u2064 2\u200c percent\u200d on \u2062Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial\u200d standards.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-ford-dramatically-downsizes-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-plans-amid-lagging-sales\/\">Ford Dramatically Downsizes Electric Vehicle Battery Plant Plans Amid Lagging Sales<\/a> appeared first on\u200b <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\">The Western Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why did\u2062 Ford decide to downsize the Michigan battery plant \u200bdespite its commitment to electric vehicle technologies?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Recent\u2062 investments in electric vehicle production, such as the electric F-150 and Mustang Mach-E, the Michigan\u2064 battery plant is focused solely on producing batteries rather than complete vehicles. Ford is aiming to vertically integrate its electric vehicle manufacturing process by building its own battery cells, as opposed to relying\u200c on suppliers.<\/p>\n<p>The decision\u200b to downsize the plant and\u2062 reduce the\u200c number of jobs was driven by a slower-than-expected growth in electric vehicle sales. This reflects a broader trend in the industry, as EV adoption has\u2064 been slower than initially projected. Ford&#8217;s revised growth forecasts indicate that the \u200doriginal plans for a large-scale battery plant were no longer justifiable.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u2062 despite\u200c the downsizing, Ford is \u200dcommitted to investing in electric vehicle technologies and infrastructure. The company recognizes the importance of transitioning to clean energy transportation and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/landmark-climate-study-says-melting-arctic-wont-lead-to-more-severe-cold-weather\/\" title=\"Landmark Climate Study Says Melting Arctic Won\u2019t Lead to More Severe Cold Weather\">reducing greenhouse gas emissions<\/a>. The Michigan battery plant will still play a crucial role in supporting Ford&#8217;s goal \u2063of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the decision to \u200cuse\u2063 lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry for the battery cells demonstrates Ford&#8217;s commitment to cost efficiency. By opting for a cheaper \u200bchemistry, Ford aims to make electric vehicles more affordable and accessible to a wider range of consumers. This strategy aligns with Ford&#8217;s mission to democratize electric mobility and create sustainable transportation\u200d solutions.<\/p>\n<p>The Michigan battery plant is expected to have a significant impact on the local economy, despite the \u2063downsized plans. The \u200cconstruction and operation \u2064of the facility will create \u2064jobs\u2064 and contribute to economic growth in the region. Additionally, the plant will help attract investment in the surrounding area, as other companies within the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/infrastructure-law-hints-at-chinas-role-in-bidens-push-for-electric-vehicles-could-threaten-american-jobs\/\" title=\"\u2018Infrastructure\u2019 Law Hints at China\u2019s Role in Biden\u2019s Push for Electric Vehicles, Could Threaten American Jobs\u00a0\">electric vehicle supply chain<\/a> may establish their presence in proximity to Ford&#8217;s\u200c battery plant.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2063 conclusion, Ford&#8217;s decision to resume construction on the Michigan \u200delectric vehicle battery plant, albeit\u2064 with downsized plans, reflects the evolving landscape of the electric vehicle market. The slower growth in electric vehicle sales necessitated a \u200dreassessment of Ford&#8217;s original plans. However, the company remains committed to investing in sustainable transportation \u2064and reducing its environmental impact. The Michigan battery plant will contribute to Ford&#8217;s goal of achieving carbon neutrality and help drive the transition to clean energy transportation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ford Motor Co. is resuming construction on a Michigan electric vehicle battery plant that the company postponed two months ago during a strike by the United Auto Workers union. But the automaker says that due to slowing electric vehicle sales growth, it will scale back the factory size, cutting the number of planned jobs by<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2105098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2105097","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105097","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2105097"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2105097\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2105098"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2105097"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2105097"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2105097"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}