Legacy automakers know that EVs are the future—but as public companies, the only future they can plan for is next quarter’s earnings report. As the current US administration slashes support for new technologies, automakers have been mostly silent, and some have quietly scaled back previously-announced electrification plans.

So, it’s refreshing to hear that Ford still hopes to complete a new LFP battery plant it’s building in Michigan, even if Congress makes the project ineligible for tax incentives.

The $3-billion plant, in Marshall, Michigan, uses technology that Ford licensed from Chinese battery maker CATL. Tax credits for US battery plants provided under the Inflation Reduction Act could offset about a quarter of the cost of the plant, Ford execs said.

However, a bill making its way through Congress would ban federal support for battery plants that use technology from China. Ford says losing the credits would have a “very material” effect on the plant’s financial performance.

“We don’t want to back off on this facility,” Lisa Drake, VP of Ford’s Technology Platform Programs and EV Systems, told reporters. “It would really be a shame to build these facilities and then all of a sudden have to scale back on the most important part, which is people.”

Ford’s plant is scheduled to start production in 2026 and is expected to create 1,700 jobs.

Several other US battery plants under construction use technology from suppliers based in South Korea or Japan, which are not targeted by the bill.

Ms. Drake said Ford probably would have built the plant outside the US if not for the tax credits provided by the Biden administration’s IRA. She also noted that manufacturing machinery for the plant, now in transit from China, will be subject to higher tariffs than previously expected.

A White House spokesman told the New York Times: “Our autoworker community strongly supports the president’s agenda and stands with him every step of the way.”

Well, maybe not all of the autoworker community. David Green, Director of the United Auto Workers region covering Ohio and Indiana, recently wrote in The Ohio Capital Journal: “Repealing clean vehicle tax credits alone could reduce EV sales as much as 40 percent by 2030, and could result in the idling of existing assembly plants and the cancellation of many planned EV battery manufacturing facilities. The irony is stark and painful: thousands of battery workers have just voted to unionize, ensuring their jobs are high-quality and family-supporting. Now congressional Republicans are voting to kill those very same jobs.”

Sources: New York Times, Washington Examiner, Ford

US-based Lumina, a company specializing in electric construction equipment, is aiming to raise between $20 million and $40 million in its Series A financing round, according to Axios.

Lumina was founded in 2021 by entrepreneur Ahmed Shubber and aims to release a 32-ton autonomous and electric bulldozer prototype, the Moonlander.

The prototype is similar to the size of a Caterpillar D6 while delivering the load capacity of the larger D9 model. Shubber has ambitious plans for Lumina, including a target of $100 million in revenue within two years of starting operations.

Lumina’s business strategy is based on not only selling its bulldozers but operating them directly at construction sites, allowing it to maintain full control over the deployment of its equipment.

The company also plans to develop a 100-ton electric excavator, Blade Runner, which will also feature advanced autonomous operating technology.

Source: Axios

Amprius Technologies, which is developing a silicon battery anode platform, has signed a new contract manufacturing agreement with an unnamed battery manufacturer in South Korea.

Amprius said that the strategic partnership expands its global production footprint and enhances its ability to deliver high-performance SiCore cells at scale to meet rising global demand.

The South Korean partner brings extensive experience in manufacturing advanced lithium-ion batteries across a range of form factors and cell chemistries. Initial production will include a balanced SiCore cell engineered to deliver high-energy and high-power performance for an advanced drone.

The facility will manufacture SiCore silicon anode cells to Amprius’s specifications, supporting current and next-generation battery platforms. These high-performance lithium-ion cells are optimized for high-demand applications in aerospace, defense and electric mobility.

The addition of this manufacturing partner builds upon Amprius’s existing 1.8 GWh of contracted production capacity, enabling the company to deliver at volume. The expansion also allows Amprius to streamline logistics and accelerate delivery timelines to customers.

“This partnership reflects the next step in Amprius’s capital-light production scaling strategy,” said Dr. Kang Sun, CEO of Amprius Technologies. “By expanding our manufacturing footprint into new regions, we are strengthening our supply chain and positioning ourselves to serve global customers with greater speed and efficiency.”

Source: Amprius Technologies