tech
Ford launches $2B battery storage unit for AI data centres
Ford has launched Ford Energy, a $2 billion subsidiary that will manufacture grid-scale battery storage systems for data centers and utilities using CATL-licensed LFP technology at a repurposed Kentucky plant. It has already signed a five-year deal with EDF Power Solutions for up to 20 GWh.
TL;DR
- Ford has launched Ford Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on manufacturing large-scale battery energy storage systems.
- The company is investing approximately $2 billion in this new operation.
- The subsidiary will repurpose a Kentucky plant previously intended for electric vehicle batteries.
- Ford Energy's flagship product is the DC Block, a standardized containerized storage system using CATL-licensed lithium iron phosphate cells.
- The first customer deliveries are scheduled for late 2027, with a target annual output of at least 20 gigawatt-hours.
- Ford Energy signed a five-year framework agreement with EDF Power Solutions North America for up to 20 GWh of battery storage.
- The venture has faced scrutiny due to CATL's inclusion on a Pentagon list of companies with alleged ties to China's military.