Photo: Ford
When established carmakers announce major plans to support the switch to electric cars, you know ICE-powered vehicles are doomed. Of course, we kind of knew that, but our brains were unable to process the information properly until recently. But when one sees the literal billions thrown into the development of electric cars and all things needed to make them work, that's when reality strikes.
Take Ford, for instance. This year alone, the carmaker made several huge steps toward an electric future. Sure, the Blue Oval is yet to announce a full switch to EVs, as others have already done, but it’s (slowly) getting there.
Back in April, Ford announced the birth of the Ion Park, the place from where all developments in EV batteries are expected to come. But that only handles the R&D part and given how the carmaker expects it will need 140 GWh worth of batteries in North America by 2030, another major step needed to be taken.
That step is the creation of a new joint venture with South Korean company SK innovation. The JV will be called BlueOvalSK, and should cover 60 GWh of the carmaker’s needs each year starting mid-decade. For reference, one GWh (Gigawatt-hour) is the equivalent of one million kilowatt-hours (kWh), and the Mach-E, for instance, uses a battery of just 68 kWh.
BlueOvalSK will be based in the U.S., although exact details on a location were not announced. The battery cells and arrays to be made by the company will be used “to power several future Ford battery electric vehicles.”
Ford has committed $22 billion through 2025 to the development of electric vehicles. The most recent arrival onto the segment is that of the Lightning, the electric variant of the F-150, a converted F-Series that should hit the roads sometime next year.
Back in April, Ford announced the birth of the Ion Park, the place from where all developments in EV batteries are expected to come. But that only handles the R&D part and given how the carmaker expects it will need 140 GWh worth of batteries in North America by 2030, another major step needed to be taken.
That step is the creation of a new joint venture with South Korean company SK innovation. The JV will be called BlueOvalSK, and should cover 60 GWh of the carmaker’s needs each year starting mid-decade. For reference, one GWh (Gigawatt-hour) is the equivalent of one million kilowatt-hours (kWh), and the Mach-E, for instance, uses a battery of just 68 kWh.
BlueOvalSK will be based in the U.S., although exact details on a location were not announced. The battery cells and arrays to be made by the company will be used “to power several future Ford battery electric vehicles.”
Ford has committed $22 billion through 2025 to the development of electric vehicles. The most recent arrival onto the segment is that of the Lightning, the electric variant of the F-150, a converted F-Series that should hit the roads sometime next year.
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