Ford Motor(US:F) 起点锂电·2025-12-28 06:53Core Viewpoint - Ford is shifting its focus from producing large electric vehicles to a new battery storage business, utilizing lower-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries to power data centers and assist in balancing grid loads [3]. Group 1: New Business Strategy - Ford plans to invest approximately $2 billion (around 14.125 billion RMB) in the new battery storage business over the next two years, aiming for an annual production capacity of 20 GWh starting in 2027 [4]. - The company will repurpose its existing manufacturing facilities in Kentucky to produce LFP batteries, which are licensed from China's CATL, and will also manufacture battery storage system modules and 20-foot DC container storage systems [4][5]. - The primary market for this new business will be commercial grid customers, followed by data centers, with plans to eventually introduce home storage products [4]. Group 2: Market Position and Competition - Ford is not the only automaker entering the energy storage sector; Tesla has been selling storage products for the past decade, deploying approximately 10 GWh each quarter, while General Motors has also launched battery storage products for residential and commercial users [4]. - Lisa Drake, Ford's Vice President of Technology Platform and Electric Vehicle Systems, emphasized that the preferred technology among customers is containerized storage systems using LFP prismatic cells, making Ford's entry into this market a natural strategic extension [4]. Group 3: Production Adjustments - The BlueOval Battery Park in Michigan is still on track to begin mass production of LFP batteries in 2026, although the plans have been adjusted to include smaller amp-hour cells for residential energy storage solutions, indicating a broader storage strategy beyond commercial clients [4]. - The Michigan facility has undergone multiple adjustments, including a $3.5 billion (approximately 24.719 billion RMB) investment announced in February 2023, which was later reduced to a capacity of 20 GWh, a decrease of about 43% from the initial plan [5].