Ford Motor Co. said that a breakthrough in battery technology could make electric vehicles (EVs) more affordable with a longer range.

Game-Changing Battery Technology

Ford's all-electric vehicle lineup
Ford’s all-electric vehicle lineup; Photo: Ford

The recent announcement provides a lot of hope for the future of EV battery technology. Charles Poon, Ford’s director of electrified propulsion engineering, announced that the automaker plans to offer EVs at a lower price with extended range on a single charge thanks to the new battery cell chemistry. Poon expects the company to offer this development by the end of the decade.

“After intense research and development at our state-of-the-art Battery Center of Excellence, Ion Park (in Romulus), I’m thrilled to share that the Ford team is delivering a game-changing battery chemistry: Lithium Manganese Rich (LMR),” Poon said in a LinkedIn post. “This isn’t just a lab experiment. We’re actively working to scale LMR cell chemistry and integrate them into our future vehicle lineup within this decade.”

According to the LinkedIn post, the company is already working on its second generation of LMR cells at its pilot line. However, experts tell the Detroit Free Press that lithium manganese batteries aren’t new. Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry Insights, tells the outlet that the first-generation Chevrolet Volt used cells with manganese spinel cathodes. He said spinel refers to a specific type of 3D molecular structure.

This technology has challenges, including voltage decay and gas generation, a Ford spokeswoman, Emma Bergg, told the Detroit Free Press. She said the automaker is directly addressing the issues without “sacrificing energy density.”

Poon stated that Ford is targeting lower cost than current mid-nickel batteries, which lead to more affordable EVs. He said that a battery makes up a third of the cost of an EV.

“Ford started by offering nickel cobalt manganese batteries and later added lithium iron phosphate batteries in 2023,” Poon wrote. “LMR is the answer to ‘what next?’”

Ford’s current all-electric vehicles consist of the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning pickup, and the E-Transit van.