Foto: Ford
Ford will introduce batteries with LFP cells for the all-electric Mustang Mach-E in Europe later this year, followed by the use of LFP batteries for the F-150 Lightning in key global markets next year. Both Ford commercial vehicles and next-generation Ford passenger cars can be powered by LFP batteries. LFP stands for lithium iron phosphate. LFP batteries are very durable, tolerate more charging and discharging due to their high cycle stability, and also charge faster than nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) batteries, for example. They are also cheaper to produce than NCM batteries because of the materials used. The cost advantages of LFP batteries could help Ford keep the sales prices of its electric vehicles stable or even lower them. In return, the energy density of lithium-iron-phosphate batteries is fundamentally lower than that of NCM batteries for the same dimensions – and thus also the achievable vehicle range. Another advantage of NCM batteries compared to LFP batteries is their better tolerance of very low temperatures. However, the cold tolerance of LFP batteries can be significantly improved by technical measures. www.media.ford.com
