Ford to develop, produce its own electric vehicle batteries

DETROIT (AP) — Saying that it wants to control the key technology for electric vehicles, Ford plans to open a battery development center near Detroit by the end of next year.

The company said the 200,000-square-foot facility will have equipment to design, test and even do small-scale manufacturing of battery cells and packs. The lab also will develop electronic controls and other items as Ford moves more of the process in-house.

Eventually the company wants to do large-scale manufacturing of its own batteries globally, a task now performed by supply companies.

Like many global automakers who have been stung by computer chip and other supply chain shortages, Ford wants to make sure it has enough batteries for what it says is an accelerating transition away from internal combustion engines.

Hau Thai-Tang, the company’s chief product and operations officer, said electric vehicles are moving from early adopters to an early majority as new models come out, and Ford wants to lead the transition.

“We now see that the market is going to develop very quickly, and we will have sufficient scale to justify having greater levels of integration,” he said. “We will no longer take an approach of hedging our bets and planning around the uncertainty of how fast that will play out.”

The move comes as the global auto industry races to control supplies including precious metals needed to make batteries and individual cells that form big battery packs to run as many as 300 new electric models coming out in the next two years. Under new CEO Jim Farley, the plan is a reversal from Ford's previous path of buying technology and batteries from supply companies. However, the company said it still could partner with suppliers, universities and startups on the technology.

Ford wouldn't say where...