China's battery giant CATL, Ford announce cooperation on EVs

FUZHOU, July 21 (Xinhua) -- China's leading automotive lithium-ion battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) and Ford Motor Company announced Thursday a non-binding memorandum of understanding outlining global strategic cooperation, including supplying batteries in China, Europe and North America.

Under separate agreements, CATL will also provide full lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs for North American Mustang Mach-E models starting next year, as well as North American F-150 Lightnings in early 2024.

The above-mentioned Ford models are powered by CATL's LFP battery system, which features long battery life and thermal stability.

Ford's electric vehicle (EV) architecture flexibility allows efficient incorporation of CATL's prismatic cell-to-pack (CTP) technology, delivering incremental capacity quickly to scale and meet customer demand.

CTP is a technology that directly integrates cells into packs, enabling the pack to improve system energy density, simplify manufacturing and lower cost.

The two companies plan to leverage their respective strengths to jointly explore new business opportunities worldwide. In addition to supplying LFP-based CTP batteries to Ford, CATL intends to cooperate with Ford with respect to other battery technologies.