Washington, Dec. 3 (BNA) Ford Motor Company (FN) expected to become the world’s second largest maker of electric vehicles within two years, with an annual production capacity of nearly 600,000 people, a Ford executive said on Friday.
The automaker’s optimism has fueled demand for its next new electric vehicle, the Ford F-150 Lightning, with retail reservations now approaching 200,000, according to Lisa Drake, chief operating officer of Ford North America, according to Reuters. .
Speaking at an investor conference, Drake said Ford is working with five global battery suppliers to manufacture battery cells and help develop their future electric vehicles.
These suppliers include SK On (096770.KS), LG Energy Solution (051910.KS), CATL (300750.SZ), BYD (002594.SZ) and Panasonic (6752.T).
Ford expects to bring the cost of battery electric cells down to $80 per kilowatt-hour at the package level “well before the end of the decade,” Drake said.
NS