Ford is working on EV platforms and investing $ 24.5 billion in electrification
Ford says it will invest approximately 24.5 billion euros in electric vehicles between now and 2025. The company is working on two EV platforms. The carmaker says it is projected to have 40 percent of its global volume electric by 2030.
These plans are part of the Ford + plan, the carmaker reports to investors. Under that Ford + plan, the company will work on two EV platforms, something that was previously leaked by Reuters. One of these platforms is dedicated to different types of cars with rear wheel and all-wheel drive support. The other is for full-size pickup trucks and SUVs. The company would work on electric versions of its Explorer and Lincoln Aviator cars, among other things.
According to the manufacturer, the Ford + plan is intended to create a ‘lasting relationship’ with customers, which will continue after the sale of the vehicle, also writes The Verge. The company wants to achieve this by, among other things, providing more future cars with network connectivity, so that they can be updated over-the-air. Ford struck a deal with Google in February. The company said at the time that it will equip future vehicles with Android Automotive, and can use Google Cloud to, among other things, send customers in real time about maintenance or trade-in options for their cars.
The company will also invest in battery technologies; the company will design, develop and produce batteries itself, writes CNET. The company releases these batteries under the name IonBoost. The company is partnering with BlueOvalSK, a joint venture between Ford and South Korean SK Innovation, which was announced last week. The two companies will work on lithium iron phosphate batteries for commercial vehicles and lithium ion batteries for consumer cars. In addition, Ford expects to have solid-state batteries ready by 2030.
Ford also reports that up to and including 2025, 24.5 billion euros will be invested in electric cars. In doing so, the company increases its previously committed investment; previously, the carmaker said it would invest around $ 20 billion in electrifying its line-up through 2025. The manufacturer expects 40 percent of its cars sold worldwide to be electric by 2030. The company previously stated that it expects to only sell fully electric cars in Europe around that time.
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